Now that I have some free time, I decided to catch up on some non-forced reading. One of the books on my list was David Lat’s Supreme Ambitions. The main character is Audrey Coyne, a young woman who excelled in everything since birth to obtain a clerkship with Christina Wong Stinson, a prestigious federal judge. Audrey’s ultimate goal is to get a clerkship with the U.S. Supreme Court, which she believes will lead to fame, riches, and immortality.
As the book progresses, Audrey realizes that her boss has supreme ambitions of her own — and that ambitions, both the judge’s and Audrey’s, might come into conflict with law and ethics. Audrey must make a decision about how to handle a high-profile case — and the wrong choice can jeopardize the chance at greatness that she worked so long and hard to obtain.
Because the story is centered on Audrey’s job as a federal judicial law clerk, a position typically awarded to a small group of top students from respected law schools, some have suggested that the book might have limited appeal. Not many lawyers — and even fewer non-lawyers — have intimate familiarity with the world of elite clerkships. The book tries to compensate by explaining some of the clerks’ more esoteric duties. But I found that I didn’t need to understand the details and nuances of the job or the high-profile legal issues portrayed, such as immigration and gay marriage, to understand the book’s central plot and themes.
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Another potential issue is that the book might not interest readers who do not have elite academic credentials, thinking that there are no characters in the story they can relate to. But there are two supporting characters who do not have traditional backgrounds for law clerks. One of them, Harvetta Chambers, is a state supreme court clerk who graduated at the top of her class from a non-prestigious law school. Despite this pedigree, she talks like Wanda Sykes from the Chris Rock Show, providing comic relief at various points in the story. The other supporting character is Larry Krasner, Audrey’s co-clerk. Larry is an average graduate of an average law school who got the job through non-traditional means.
For obvious reasons, I took particular interest in how employers interview candidates in the story. Judge Stinson’s interview with Audrey was formal, inquisitive, and challenging. On the other hand, Audrey’s interview with a prospective employer later in the story was much more casual, partly because of that employer’s familiarity with Audrey’s record.
One part about the book I found troubling (and some readers may find offensive) is when Audrey contemplates that she might not be the “special snowflake” she thought she was. She then ruminates about dropping out of the race and imagines herself living the rest of her life as an ordinary person. You’ll have to read the book to see what I mean, but what Audrey considers to be an “Ordinary Person” living a normal life will not be attainable by many actual ordinary people. Some of us would commit unspeakable atrocities to have a chance at the “normal life” Audrey envisions. I suppose this was written to convey what is in the mind of someone who has never failed in anything.
There were some plot twists that surprisingly fit the story well. The ending had a bit of a deus ex machina feel to it and could have been developed more — but based on my personal experience, it is believable.
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So why should someone who will have a hard time relating to the duties of a federal law clerk read Supreme Ambitions? A few lawyers will feel jealous and resentful. I know I did at times, as I thought about what could have been had I made different decisions earlier in my life. But I think that some of the themes of the book could be useful to anyone who still has their own ambitions.
I must admit, when I finished reading the book, I had thought about clerking for a judge as well. Almost everyone I know who had the privilege of clerking enjoyed the experience. While clerking for an Article III judge is an unrealistic goal, I would be a better fit at a specialized court or agency, such as the Board of Immigration Appeals, which was featured in the book. While I am still a bit idealistic, I have worked with enough people — genuine and otherwise — to understand that courts cannot manipulate the law to accommodate everyone with a compelling sob story.
In Supreme Ambitions, one line serves as a prophetic refrain: “There is always somewhere else to go. Always.” After reading the book, it may make you wonder where you should be going. Or it might give you an urge to go shopping at Wal-Mart.
Pleasing the Court With Intrigue [New York Times]
Where To Buy Supreme Ambitions [Supreme Ambitions]
Supreme Ambitions [Amazon (affiliate link)]
Earlier: Do You Harbor Supreme [Court] Ambitions?
Shannon Achimalbe was a former solo practitioner for five years before deciding to sell out and get back on the corporate ladder. Shannon can be reached at [email protected].