The Other Lawyer at Home

摘要

When Elizabeth Edwards was a bankruptcy lawyer in Raleigh, N.C., she spent much of her court time in the "second chair," providing advice and often doing the heavy legal lifting for the lead attorney on a case. Being second chair was less glamorous than taking the lead, and it didn't come naturally to someone so outspoken, eloquent and whip-smart. But it gave Elizabeth what she wanted-more manageable hours and more time to spend with her children. And it was great training for advising her husband through a meteoric six-year rise from political neophyte to vice-presidential nominee. "I feel like I've honed my skills as a sounding board as well as anyone possibly could," Elizabeth said last week. "I try to be effective and honest, someone who tells him when what he's , saying doesn't ring true."