ARE YOU A LAWYER? (An Origin Story)
I grew up in a political family in Chicago’s north side. I do not mean “political” in the sense of people arguing at the dinner table about politics, but as in my father was an actual politician, a State Senator, a Democratic Committeeman, and a prominent figure in the Jewish Community. He had been the youngest State Representative in Illinois and became one of the youngest State Senator’s to ever serve. In the 70’s, he helped stop the Nazi’s from marching in Skokie and later co-authored Illinois’ Hate Crimes Act. My mother and her late father were attorney’s. My father’s father had been the president of the Window Washer’s Union in Chicago during the 1950s. Law and politics were in my blood.
As a shy 8-year-old, my parents sent me to Piven Theater School for acting classes, and I fell in love. I wanted to be an actress. While I was fluent in politics, my love language was acting and acting is what I pursued. In London, New York and then in Los Angeles.
It was the summer of 2000, and I was a hostess at Le Petit Four, a trendy French bistro on the Sunset Strip where movie stars, rock stars, and agents went to conduct business or see and be seen. I was 23 and having the time of my life. The Democratic National Convention came to L.A. and the Hollywood party scene morphed into a DNC scene, to which I had a first-row seat. It was magnificent. My father, a delegate for Al Gore, brought me to the convention the night Joe Lieberman accepted the nomination for Vice President. I listened to his wife, Hadassah, tell stories and the air in the room changed, at least for me. A convention center filled with people from all states, literally, I could see which state they were from because they stood next to signs, chanted the name “Hadassah.” Something mystical and magical occurred in the moment for me. I had never been particularly Jewish- that was my father’s thing. I took my bat mitzvah seriously and enjoyed the high holidays, but that was about it. Just the concept of Americans being excited and cheering for a Jewish woman with a very Jewish first name, who might be the first lady to the Vice President, created a flutter in my heart and a new passion in my veins. As the child of a politician, I grew up in the room where it happens, the room where the votes are counted. This was the first time I actually wanted to participate in the election process.
For the next several months, I volunteered for the Gore Campaign. On election day, I stood with other volunteers at the intersection of Santa Monica and Wilshire proudly holding Gore Lieberman signs. And then Florida was called for Gore- OMG we won! For a while, we were all elated, and then Florida was uncalled- wait, what?
The next few weeks were mind boggling. This was America and we do not know who our President is going to be? How? I had to know what was going on. I became an absolute news junkie along with a Daily Show INDECISION 2000 addict. Whether it was Ashleigh Banfield’s reporting or Dan Abrams commentary, I could not get enough.
As a hostess, I was always chatty at the restaurant. I credit that place with bringing me out of my shell. But now, people were asking me “Are you a lawyer?” “Me? No.” “Are you in law school?” “Me? No.” This became a regular occurrence, almost like a bit. I am an actress. I spent a lot of time studying to be an actress, I am not a lawyer.
The Supreme Court was now involved and would ultimately decide who our President was going to be. In other words, one branch of America’s government was going to decide the fate of another branch of government. It was unprecedented and I was spellbound. An important Supreme Court decision was to be read aloud on the radio. I was dying to listen to it, but I was at an audition and it was running late- really late. I became super antsy. What is going on? Why is this taking so long? This was pre-smart phone and maybe pre-Google so I could not just check my phone. I needed to be in front of a radio or TV- oh, the olden days.
Then I heard it. Words that would ultimately change my life. The chairs in the waiting room were facing each other. A good looking, tall, blonde model was sitting next to his friend, who had long-skaterboi hair. The skaterboi was holding the audition copy and turned to his friend and said “Dude, you should totally get this! You love Chex Mix!” That was it. I looked around the room and the air shifted again. I couldn’t do this. I did not want to do this anymore. The Supreme Court was about to decide the fate of America and here I was auditioning for a commercial for a snack with someone who starts a sentence using the word “Dude.” What once was so important, a paying gig, no longer felt important.
I had a true existential crisis and called my best friend Romy. She told me to leave to go and listen to the radio. I vividly recall getting into my used, white, Chrysler LeBaron and putting on the radio to hear the address. It had not started yet. I called my dad from the car phone- which looked like a Sat radio, and started hyperventilating and said “Dad, I think I want to be a lawyer.”