Courthouse Forum: A Letter from One of the Elect

As you can gather from her recent posts, Article III Groupie is overworked and overwhelmed. But she's not quite ready for her holiday hiatus from blogging; she'd like to issue a few more posts before she disappears from the blogosphere, not to return until 2005.

Since A3G is down in the dumps, this post will be more serious and reflective than the usual UTR fare. And because A3G is completely exhausted, she will let someone else do the work for her -- namely, one of her distinguished correspondents. Today's Courthouse Forum mailbag contains this very interesting letter from a member of the Elect (who shall remain nameless):

Dear Groupie,

Your blog is about the most interesting thing I've seen on the web, and I think that you are an astonishingly good writer. Indeed, I'm intimidated even to be writing directly to you, as I could not display a fraction of your wit and eloquence.

As for me, I happen to be among the ranks of what you call "The Elect," but I am far from the Important -- and getting farther with each passing month. I too am now toiling away in obscurity -- my bonus long having been burned up -- wondering what happened to all of the possibilities, missing the heady days in DC when I would go to parties and be asked: "What do you do?" In the words of the Springsteen song: "Glory days / Well, they'll pass you by, glory days / In the wink of a young girl's eye, glory days." I am increasingly embarrassed to check in with my Justice, never having -- unlike my conquering co-clerks -- any new achievements or glorious triumphs to report.

Wherever you are, I hope this finds you well, and I hope that you are coming to terms with your own demons. I remain plenty busy with mine.

-- Your Devoted Fan

A3G doesn't really know how to react to this thoughtful, oddly touching, and beautifully written missive. Yes, to be completely honest, her schadenfreude causes her to take some pleasure from hearing that life might not be a bowl of cherries for all of the Anointed. But she's not as pleased as one might expect (which may suggest that her soul is not totally beyond redeption). Rather, she is genuinely saddened to hear of someone else strugging -- just as she does every day -- to come to grips with his or her own insignificance.

Article III Groupie is also disturbed by the possible shattering of the myth that the Elect lead lives of never-ending fabulousness. A3G is an embittered member of the Great Unwashed who is unhappy with her lot in life; part of her desperately wants to believe, and needs to believe, that someone out there is having non-stop fun. That "someone," of course, would be each and every member of the Elect.

To learn that this actually might not be the case -- that the party sometimes comes to an end, even for the Anointed Ones -- would be deeply demoralizing to A3G (even if she is not among their ranks). Her view of the world would be fundamentally changed, just as it was when she learned the truth about Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy; she would suffer a loss of innocence.

"Supreme Court clerkship fetishism" has caused A3G to think of a job with the justices as a panacea: if only she had gotten that clerkship, then at last she would have been "happy." But what if a clerkship at One First Street doesn't magically solve all the problems in your life? What then?

Oh, it's just too much to fathom! A3G needs a drink...

Enjoying a little nightcap (i.e., self-medicating),

Article III Groupie

Comments

[Texan from Tikrit]

One striving to be the best they can possibly be is a wonderful life-long journey. One comparing themselves to others is a study in diminished self-esteem.

Texan from Tikrit

[Another member of the elect]

Agree with all that has been said. It was a great job. It opened lots of doors. I'm grateful for the opporunity. Etc.

But it still doesn't make law firm work any more interesting, or balancing family and work any easier, or putting the finishing touches on Law Review articles any less painful.

[a member of the elect]

There's a simple lesson here, actually: when you finish a Supreme Court clerkship, you should NOT take a job as an a lowly associate outside of DC. Outside of DC, SCT clerks are treated more or less like anyone else. Who wants that? Life as an associate usually stinks. Within DC, in contrast, firms treat SCT clerks as very special.

A3G--Push comes to shove it's always about people and relationships and love--not about status. The Elect are just as lonely as the rest of teeming humanity who have not learned that the American Dream is a myth. Money and Brookstone stuff and status pale in comparison to good friends and True Love. So start giving up the love to everyone around you and the rest will take care of itself.

a little bird

So mind-blowing, yet so obvious. This person once got to say "I am a f@%#&%! Supreme Court Clerk. Now s/he says, "I spend 16 hours per day writing variations of 'Defendant neither confirms nor denies the allegations contained in paragraph 12.'"