Legal Eagle Wedding Watch: August 2006 Couple of the Month

Fear not, dear readers. We will be issuing a Legal Eagle Wedding Watch for this past weekend — it will just be a little late. Like you, we’re also recovering from the Labor Day holiday weekend…
In the meantime, we’re going to introduce a participatory element to Legal Eagle Wedding Watch. A number of you have complained about our scoring. Some think we’re too harsh, while others accuse us of “grade inflation.” Rating couples in categories like their career achivements and looks is obviously a subjective business.
So now we’ll turn over the proceedings to you, and let the voice of democracy be heard. We’d like to crown a Legal Eagle Wedding Watch “Couple of the Month” for August 2006 — but we need your help.
We’re taking the winning couples from each week in August — plus the winning couple from the last week in July, ’cause we don’t want them to feel left out — and pitting them against each other in an ATL reader poll. Here it is (competitors listed alphabetically by bride’s last name):

Which of these fabulous couples should be crowned “Couple of the Month” for August 2006?
Cecily Baskir and John Freedman
Carrie Gombos and David Altschuler
Carletta Higginson and Christopher Poindexter
Sharmila Sohoni and Christopher Egleson
Berit Winge and Marc Berger
  
Free polls from Pollhost.com


Don’t remember these couples? To refresh your recollection, Above the Law’s prior write-ups of each couple — which include their complete scores, plus a link to their original New York Times wedding announcement — appear after the jump.


Here are the write-ups. Click on the link for the names of the couple to view their original Times wedding announcement.
1. Cecily Baskir and John Freedman
Résumé score: 9.4. Let’s not mince words: this is one helluva couple. She’s Princeton (magna) and Yale Law, now at Holland & Knight. He’s Williams College and Harvard Law (cum laude). And here’s the kicker: he’s a partner at Arnold & Porter, one of D.C.’s top-tier firms. (In case you’re wondering, yes, he’s older than she is — he’s 37, she’s 31.)
Family score: 9.2. The couple’s parents are similarly high-powered. Cecily’s mother, Marna Tucker, is one of Washington’s top divorce lawyers — so consider yourself warned, John! Her father is a judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.* And his parents are similarly successful, although outside the legal field: they’re both doctors. John’s mother is a shrink — we bet he’s got some issues! — and his father is a radiologist.
Balance score: 9.0. Yes, he’s a partner at a more prestigious firm; but her parents are marginally more high-powered than his. So they’re quite balanced.
Beauty score: 8.0. There was no photo in the Times; but we tracked them down (see here and here).
Overall score: 8.90.
Additional comments: Judge Delissa A. Ridgway, “a friend of the bride’s family,” officiated. She’s an Article III judge — impressive! (Oh, but she sits on the Court of International Trade — not so impressive. It’s like marching into Louis Vuitton and walking out with the coin purse.)
2. Carrie Gombos and David Altschuler
Résumé score: 9.0. Carrie and David are definite overachievers. She’s a Cornell grad (with distinction), and he’s a Yale grad (magna). Then they both went to Harvard for law school. She went to Paul Weiss, and he landed a coveted Southern District of New York clerkship (with outgoing Chief Judge Mukasey). In September she’ll start clerking (in the E.D.N.Y.), and he’ll go to Akin Gump.
Family score: 8.0. David’s parents are more high-powered than Carrie’s. His would get a score in the high 8s, while hers would get a score in the high 6s; together they average out to around an 8. David’s mom is an executive at advertising giant Interpublic, and his dad is a partner at the obscenely profitable Cadwalader, Wickersham, and Taft. Carrie’s mom is a psychotherapist and social worker, and her dad is an exec in an architecture and engineering firm.
Balance score: 9.8. This is an extremely well-balanced couple. They went to comparable undergraduate institutions and the same law school. She landed a better firm job, but he secured a more prestigious clerkship. So they’re pretty much even.
Beauty score (only if pictured): 9.0. Very attractive! Nice skin, great teeth.
Overall score: 8.95.
Additional comments: An impressive couple. Their educational and professional pedigrees are impeccable and well-matched. The kids are sure to be adorable.
3. Carletta Higginson and Christopher Poindexter
Resume score: 9.0. Strong creds. She’s a grad of NYU and Columbia Law, now in the New York office of Jenner & Block. He’s a Princeton alum and fellow Columbia Law grad, now working in the New York office of O’Melveny. Scores would be even higher if they were at New York-based firms; but really, there’s nothing to scoff at here.
Family score: 8.6. His parents are quite impressive: his mother is a state court judge in Virginia, and his father is the commonwealth’s attorney for Surry County, Virginia. Their score is brought down by her dad, who works for Con Ed — not the most popular company in the wake of the New York blackouts. (No occupation is given for her mom.)
Balance score: 9.7. Very well-balanced. Same law school, comparable firms. They’re separated only by the prestige gap between their undergraduate institutions (NYU vs. Princeton).
Beauty score (only if pictured): 8.8. Highly attractive. Carletta is especially lovely, with pretty eyes and a gorgeous smile.
Overall score: 9.025.
Additional comments: A superb example of the black power couple — even higher-scoring than Tasha and Imar from last week.
4. Sharmila Sohoni and Christopher Egleson
Résumé score: 9.3. Another Harvard Law couple, but with marginally stronger creds than Elizabeth and Geoffrey, supra. She’s a magna HLS grad, which is super-impressive, who clerked on the D.C. Circuit (yeah, we know, for Judge Judith Rogers; but still). And she’s bound for Jenner & Block’s elite D.C. office. He clerked for Judge Norman Stahl on the First Circuit and is headed for the D.C. office of Akin Gump.
Family score: 8.8. Solid. Her father is an executive at an Indian conglomerate, and her mother is a published author and former Stanford research fellow. His dad is a tech consultant, and his mom is a psychotherapist in private practice.
Balance score: 8.7. As well-balanced as Elizabeth and Geoffrey, with the woman again having the stronger résumé (more prestigious clerkship and firm).
Overall score: 8.93.
Additional comments: Judge Stahl officiated at the wedding. What a touch of class!
5. Berit Winge and Marc Berger
Resume score: 9.4. She’s a Columbia Law grad who’s at powerhouse Paul Weiss in New York. He’s a UVA Law grad who’s an assistant U.S. attorney in the renowned Southern District of New York. It doesn’t get much better than this, people.
Family score: 8.0. Her dad is the most high-powered of the ‘rentals: he’s a med school prof. His dad is a retired dentist, which is also pretty good.
Balance score: 7.8. Paul Weiss is a top firm; but an AUSA gig in the S.D.N.Y. is one of the brighest brass rings within the profession. So balance could be better.
Beauty score (only if pictured): 8.8. This couple exudes a wholesome, boy/girl next door appeal.
Overall score: 8.5.
Earlier: Archives of Legal Eagle Wedding Watch

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