I had prepared, going over the facts of the case a dozen times. I’d practiced the questions I wanted to ask; internalized the precise wording of my legal motions. I’d researched and rehearsed every practice and custom—down to the skirt suit that was de rigueur for female attorneys, back before women were permitted to wear pants in the courtroom. I’d done everything I could. Still, the stakes were so high, it never felt like enough.
