From a Washington Post obit by Michael S. Rosenwald headlined “John Jay Osborn Jr., author of ‘The Paper Chase,’ dies at age 77”:

John Jay Osborn Jr., author of the best-selling 1971 novel “The Paper Chase,” a coming-of-age story about an idealistic Harvard Law School student who becomes obsessed with both contracts law and his imperious professor, died at his home in San Francisco.

Mr. Osborn wrote “The Paper Chase” as a third-year student at Harvard Law School, drawing on the personalities and teaching styles of several professors to create Professor Charles W. Kingsfield Jr., who conducted contracts class in ways ruthless and inspiring.