The course of a lawyer’s career is often determined by what he or she accomplishes very early on. Law firms swarm elite law schools looking to hire future associates. The most highly regarded judges frequently fill their chambers with graduates from top-ranked institutions. Our pool of potential Supreme Court justices is determined by the choices, and careful calculations, that ambitious young men and women make before they turn 24.

Ian Millhiser, “What Do You Need to Do to Be a Supreme Court Justice?”