Gabe Plotkin (2002-03)

Most of my memories are not stories, per se. More Chief-isms:

• Her inability to remember anybody’s name, and thus use of the word “friend.”
• Waking her up from her power naps on the couch in her office.
• Opinion-writing weekends, seeing us sit and write in tandem at the desks in the clerk’s office, often culminating over Saturday take out dinner, where she always ordered the tenderloin salad.
• Her willingness to drive me home late at night, even though it was out of the way.
• The shag carpet throughout her house, including the bathroom.
• The soft and caring heart inside her tough as nails exterior.

More than any of this, to this day, I consider her the reason I am such a clear thinker, strong writer, and hard worker. I no longer practice law. But I use the skills she taught me daily, and I constantly reflect on her mentorship as I grow and develop my staff.