A Villain’s Villanelle (Neil Gorsuch’s)

His was no brilliant legal mind
But adequate (if dull) was Neil’s— 
In ethics he fell far behind.
Law school is tough, the bar’s unkind,
But since he was the kind that steals....
His was no brilliant legal mind
But, bending, he some way could find
Even the way an orange unpeels.
In ethics he fell far behind
But a friend who the rules maligned
Figured a cheat, and turned the wheels.
His was no brilliant legal mind
But Gorsuch knew that men were blind
To subtle thefts, and backroom deals.
In ethics he fell far behind,
But when his buddy’s tricks aligned
He leapfrogged those who had ideals.
His was no brilliant legal mind:
In ethics he fell far behind.