Hi Friends:
I hope you had a nice Independence Day celebration.
I spoke with several people who said they “relaxed”. These days, relaxed indeed sounds like a nice celebration, to me. Does it to you?
One thing that Jeff and I did over the fourth of July was bid farewell to Diana. (She spent six weeks in Atlanta as a summer associate with Alston & Bird but decided to split her summer with a boutique IP firm in New York City.)
Though I wouldn’t necessarily describe saying good-bye to her as relaxed (because #2 daughter is very much missed when she isn’t in Atlanta)...I was relieved.
A few days before Diana took off for NYC, she was offered a clerkship with a federal judge in Wilmington, Delaware, beginning in 2024.
The federal clerkship application and interview process reminded me of when Diana took the patent bar exam. I never micro or macro managed either of my girl’s education (thanks be to God). They both did exceptionally well, ptl.
But when Diana took the patent bar exam, for some reason, I was on board with anxiety and anticipation in a micromanaging fashion. What the heck.
--When she called me saying that she had passed the patent bar, I ‘bout passed out. I remember being on the connector in crazed ATL traffic, smiling from ear to ear, cars whipping in and out. Boy, was I happy.
Diana really wanted to land a clerkship with a federal judge and like with the patent bar exam, I was wound tight on her behalf in hopes it would work out.
Well, it did.
Within hours of her first interview she was offered a clerkship in Wilmington, Delaware. For me (and her?) this news was almost as exciting as my first grandson, Charlie, being born. But not quite.
I’m not an expert but do understand federal clerkships are hard to get. So, I asked Diana what top three things she thinks contributed to her success:
Grades
Resume
Apply to as many as you can
I am so proud of how hard both of my girls work. Aren’t we all?
One of my favorite quotes is Kahlil Gibran: “And to love life through labor is to be intimate with life’s inmost secret…work is love made visible”. Amen.
Good job, Diana!
Thank you for reading.
Love, Shelley
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 ERV
Never stop praying. Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus.