The Supreme Court operates as nine separate law firms, with each justice hiring his or her own staff, including clerks, who are usually recent law school graduates. This collection of memoir essays by former clerks shows that each justice has their own unique way of using the clerk's services; some justices formed personal bonds with clerks that extended beyond the clerkship. There are also research essays on clerks and justices of the past, including the first African American clerk and the first female clerk at the Supreme Court, shedding light on the origins of the clerkship and its evolution over time. Contributors are former law clerks, legal scholars, biographers, historians, and political scientists. Peppers teaches public affairs at Roanoke College. Ward teaches political science at Northern Illinois University. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)