Black letter law is a concept invented by law students to try to find some certainty in confusing, ever changing, common law principles.
"The common law" is like water in your hands... you can touch it, you can feel it, but it very difficult at times to grasp or understand it because for every rule there are exceptions and, ultimately, each case depends on its own facts.
Fang: the law and lawyers are not infallible like your College. Everything is subject to interpretation, thoughtfulness and argumentation... and you will appreciate that if, as and when you have a legal entanglement of your own. Unlike the clergy, we lawyers prefer not to have a Galileo!
Sorry I could not find anything humorous to say...
Perry