WINSTON WEEKLY©[1]

November 23, 2025

Vol. 3, No. 47

MILESTONES[2]

Relatively few lawyers argue before the United States Supreme Court. Those who do are given a quill pen as a souvenir to commemorate their accomplishment. Chief Justice John Marshall started the tradition in the early 1800s, a time when lawyers took notes using quill pens and inkwells. I admittedly knew nothing of this tradition until I listened this past week to John Reed’s recent interview with Karla Gilbride, Deputy Director of Litigation for Public Citizen. As many of us bustle about preparing for Thanksgiving, we likely give little thought to the work of the courts, or professional or personal milestones. But professional and personal milestones, like the work of the courts, shape our lives and those of others in significant ways. Karla’s work is but one example. A graduate of Georgetown Law School with honors, Karla has served in multiple roles, including clerking for Judge Ronald Gould of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and General Counsel for the EEOC. To listen to her speak, one would never know that she is blind,

Outside of work, Karla is a baseball fan, and a self-described fantasy baseball nerd. She also enjoys hiking, cycling, and goalball. Despite her many personal and professional milestones, she admits dealing with the “spiral of self-doubt.” But she also believes that “We can all do more than other people think we’re capable of doing. We can all do more than we might believe we’re capable of ourselves.”

WEEKLY ACTIVITY

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving this week, at another time, or not at all, reflect on your significant milestones, and the milestones of those closest to you. If you did not capture those milestones by writing about them or taking pictures, write a paragraph or two regarding a significant personal or professional milestone, the challenges you faced along the way, and the people who supported you during any moments of self-doubt.

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[1] A Sunday newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles to be shared with the appropriate attribute.

[2]Resources: John Reed is the host of the Sticky Lawyers’ podcast, https://www.stickylawyers.com;

www.supremecourt.gov; Karla Gilbride, Shattering Injustice and Raising Expectations: Dedication to Equality by a Blind Attorney, Convention Issue 2023; https://nfb.org.