‘Thanks for your microaggressive civility’: NYC lawyer shares ‘unhinged’ email from law school applicant

December 14, 2021

New York City lawyer Cece Xie recently went viral for sharing an “unhinged email” from an “entitled” undergraduate student trying to get into Duke University School of Law.

The email: The student, identified by his middle name as Benjamin, sent Xie an email requesting to speak on the phone with her to discuss law school admissions. When Xie declined, citing her “general policy,” the student slammed her.

Xie, who documents her life as a New York City-based lawyer on social media, shared the email on her TikTok account, @cecexie.

She was shocked at Benjamin’s angry response, which she describes as “the most unhinged email.” Before sharing screenshots of his email, Xie begins her TikTok video explaining, “It’s a good example of what not to do when you’re trying to network within your profession or find a mentor.”
“I was wondering if you’d deign to share 10 minutes with me telephonically to discuss law school admissions and post-graduate opportunities? I am a big fan of your YouTube, and I can assure you it will not be [obscured] your time,” the student wrote.
Xie then responded by thanking him for reaching out. She explained she does not take one-on-one conversations, but that unanswered questions about law school were welcomed through her website for her to answer for all of her followers as she can get to them.
The student wrote back, “I have an extremely hard time believing that your ‘following’ is that abundant. You have plenty of time for a 10-minute call. It costs you nothing, makes you nothing.”
“But it makes sense,” he continues. “You are still young and had to fight hard for the position(s) you occupy currently. You will become more charitable and altruistic as you age and gain material success. Just remember, there is always time. Go tell Jeff Bezos, (or even your senior partner for that matter), that you don’t have any time. Lastly, 9/10 of the dolts hitting you up are just time-sucking tyre kickers that have no potential. Thanks for your microaggressive civility.”
While Xie considered emailing the Duke Law admissions as well as his employer, she noted that “professionalism dictates that you should never send emails or other communications in the heat of the moment. Like Benjamin did.”
“Law is a small world, and I’ve gotten questions from friends before looking to hire my former colleagues or acquaintances. And if I’ve had a bad experience with someone, I’m gonna tell the truth. So, Benjamin, for your sake, I hope our paths never cross again,” Xie concluded.

The viral TikTok, which has received over 2.1 million views as of this writing, has garnered thousands of comments, with many viewers describing the student as “entitled.”

Featured Images via @cecexie

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