But he says he was not surprised by the presence of HLS in the election battle.
"It is not unusual in an election this litigation oriented that [HLS] would have such a role," Tribe says.
According to Gerken, Elhauge and Fried's brief helped set the course of the debate.
"The Supreme Court opinion was largely modeled on the brief that [Fried and Elhauge] wrote," Gerken says.
As for Gerken, she says she is not upset that the whirlwind of media attention is over, and is looking forward to returning to the academic lifestyle.
"After a month I was ready to retire to a quiet life where I can write what I want and I don't have to say everything in a soundbite."
--Staff writer William M. Rasmussen can be reached at wrasmuss@fas.harvard.edu