Frank looked up from Sophia’s resume and observed her over his neatly organized stacks of files on his massive desk. He said nothing.
Sophia made the considered decision not to fill the silence. She wanted the first-year associate position more than anything, but was intimidated by the unchecked affluence around her. Sophia knew she could hold her own against any legal mind, but was a neophyte when it came to the highbrow culture of this powerful, international law firm with offices around the world.
She suddenly forgot her carefully prepared questions about the firm and momentarily worried that her blue-collar upbringing left her with no common ground for social discourse. She did not speak.
Frank glanced back down.
“Top ten percent of your class, a moot court finalist, highest grade in five classes, law review. Stellar credentials.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I see you were a high school history teacher before law school, Ms. Christopoulos.”
“Yes, I was.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
Frank smiled for the first time during the interview.
“Yes.”
Sophia smiled back.
Sophia was surprised by both his smile and the question. She couldn’t see what her enjoyment of teaching had to do with her prowess in law school. She hesitated to disclose that immigrants from male-dominated societies, like her Greek parents, often made teachers of their daughters. It was an acceptable profession prior to marriage, after which raising and taking care of a family became the woman’s career.
Sophia didn’t know what Frank Cummings wanted to hear. And that was the bottom line in these interviews: tell them what they want to hear.
“I remember my history teachers,” Frank recollected before Sophia could decide what to say. “They were nice people.”
Frank had tipped his hand. The word “nice” reverberated in Sophia’s mind. She discerned that “nice” would not cut it as a litigator in this kind of firm—“shark” would—“vicious” would—“bitch” even would—but not “nice.” Sophia knew immediately she had to sever her past teacher-self from her metamorphosed legal-self, the self that clawed its way to the top of her law school’s razor-sharp heap.
* * *
About the Author
After a lifetime of writing poetry, books, nonfiction, and legal documents, it was author Ray Bradbury's friendship and encouragement that finally inspired Dale E. Manolakas to pursue writing as a career. He taught her that the characters wrote the book—she didn't.
Dale E. Manolakas earned her B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles, and M.A., M.S., Ph.D. and J.D. degrees from the University of Southern California. She is a member of the California Bar, had the privilege of clerking for The Honorable Arthur L. Alarcón at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, was a litigator in two major Los Angeles law firms, and a senior appellate attorney at the California Court of Appeals, as well as an Administrative Law Judge. Member of SAG-AFTRA and the Actors’ Equity Association.
Dale E. Manolakas
Author Website
http://www.dalemanolakas.com. [Sign up for new release notices here.]
Author YouTube Channel with Book Trailers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCac1mJynScdPGd2FVz1987A
Amazon Author Page with Videos
https://www.amazon.com/Dale-E.-Manolakas/e/B00H0FMRX6
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