Hillbilly Elegy

a high-powered federal judge with deep
connections to multiple Supreme Court
justices.
I submitted all the materials—a
résumé, a polished writing sample, and a
desperate letter of interest. I didn’t know
why I was doing it. Maybe, with my
Southern drawl and lack of a family
pedigree, I felt like I needed proof that I
belonged at Yale Law. Or maybe I was
just following the herd. Regardless of
the reason, I needed to have this
credential.
A few days after I submitted my
materials, Amy called me into her office
to let me know that I had made the short
list. My heart fluttered. I knew that all I