Story of My Book
Beside the Nine discusses what it is like to clerk for the Supreme Court justices, and how former clerks are shaping the future of constitutional law.
My name is Madison Elder, and I am the author of Beside the Nine. I wrote this book because I wanted to illuminate a part of United States judicial system often viewed only through the lens of its opinions - the Supreme Court. Further, I wanted to portray the Court through the eyes of its law clerks, a much different perspective from how it is traditionally viewed.
My hope is that, in reading this book, you will discover that the Supreme Court is not as strictly one-dimensional as it appears to the public, but warm and collegiate, while always aiming to find the right answer to the country’s greatest legal questions. In this book, I hope to instill the same sort of passion and excitement that I have for studying the Supreme Court in you. Ultimately, I want you to see this book as a tool to help you look at the future of constitutional law in a new light, taking from the lessons and advice of former Supreme Court law clerks to understand their justices’ long-term impact in an area that has nothing to do with the landmark opinions they deliver.
In this book, you'll learn about the Supreme Court law clerks' role, and the crucial mentorship their beloved justices provide.
- the clerks’ important, yet too often overlooked responsibilities
- inspiring stories of the working relationship that develops between clerks and their justices
- career advice and insight about the future of constitutional law from former clerks
You will love this book if you are interested in politics, law, and, of course, the United States Supreme Court! Beside the Nine speaks to young adults and professionals who are looking to learn more about our nation’s highest court. This book offers a different view of the American judicial system by looking through the lens of those who are a crucial part of its function, but also out of the spotlight.
The Book - Beside the Nine
The book is written in 3 Parts....
Part 1 contains the introduction and Chapters 1-5. In the introduction, I describe who young Supreme Court clerks are, and why their role becomes so significant as they pass through later stages of their career. I discuss their position at the Court and detail their workload, from sifting through petitions of certiorari to drafting final opinions. Each part of the processes and protocol surrounding a case on the Supreme Court’s docket will be explained comprehensively.
Part 2 contains Chapters 5-8. Through stories and anecdotes, this section discusses the special relationship between clerks and their justices, and what makes it so special, whether that means playing basketball with Justice Clarence Thomas at the “highest court in the land” (there is actually a basketball court located directly above the courtroom in the Supreme Court building!), whitewater rafting with the adventuresome "FWOTSC" (first woman of the Supreme Court, as Justice Sandra Day O'Connor proudly referred to herself), and sweet love stories that develop between co-clerks (while their justices enthusiastically play matchmaker).
Part 3 contains Chapters 9-10. Based on interviews I’ve conducted with former Supreme Court clerks, I discuss how Supreme Court clerks are shaping the future of constitutional law - even long after they finish their clerkship. In addition, clerks share their own advice for those thinking about entering the legal field, as well as discuss what qualities they believe are integral to the fabric of a successful constitutional lawyer.
What I Need & What You'll Get
This book will be published with New Degree Press. I set up the pre-order tiers to help cover the costs for publishing my book. Money raised will go towards the following:
- The Editor I will work with to revise and publish my manuscript in December 2019
- The Cover Design of my Book - the mockups you see currently are a placeholder!
- The Layout Design for the interior of my book (Physical Copy, Ebook Formats)
- The Copyediting for my Book - to polish the grammar and spelling prior to publication
- The Launch & Promotion Efforts for my book - when I ultimately publish this winter
When I pre-sell 100 copies of my book, I will publish. When I pre-sell 150 copies of my book, I will also publish an audiobook. When I pre-sell 200 copies of my book, I will publish a hardcover edition.
I am also offering some exclusive rewards for people who pre-order my book now:
- You will receive a personally signed copy of my book when I publish
- A personal, handwritten thank you note for pre-ordering my book
- Your Name will appear in a Special, Acknowledgements Section of my book (“with Special Thanks to”)
- Early access to the Introduction of my Book and my entire manuscript, with the opportunity to review it and give me early feedback
- The opportunity to help give me feedback and be involved in selecting my cover
- I will do a book topic/workshop seminar where I will share my experiences writing this book
- And more...
About the Author
Madison Elder is an alumni scholar at UCLA studying history and political science. Upon graduating in the spring of 2021, she plans on attending law school and pursuing a career in constitutional law. Until then, she is focusing on leading Bruins Supporting Veterans at UCLA, a student organization she began in 2018. Madison’s work to support veterans began during high school, when she raised over $1500 for veteran organizations, even presenting donations to Senator Lindsey Graham and actor Gary Sinise on behalf of the groups.
When she is not volunteering for veteran nonprofits or carefully planning club events, you can find her researching around campus. In the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology's Armenian lab, Madison works on obsidian sourcing and lithic typology projects. She also performs research on the relationship between ancient Egyptian women and the law. Madison wrote Beside the Nine because she strives to keep challenging herself to continue learning, and is fascinated by the Supreme Court and American judicial system. Her book provides a uniquely personal approach to this subject, reflecting on law clerks and the relationships they form with their justices.
Some of Madison’s favorite things are historical biographies, playing basketball, hiking trails, paddleboarding at the beach, and visiting national parks. For more information, you can connect with Madison at meelder@ucla.edu and on Facebook, Twitter (@meelder23), and Instagram (@meelder).
Risks & Challenges
The biggest challenge with publishing a book is delivering the finished book to the backer, specifically my mailing of the book to you. I have eliminated this risk by building into the campaign the mailing and shipping costs of your signed copies to you within each pre-order tier.
The risk of delivering the pre-sale copies of my book is contingent on the publisher we use. I will be working closely with New Degree Press to make sure we get the earliest possible ship date of the signed book copy to you. We will keep all pre-sale backers up-to-date as my book hits each key milestone and publishes. You will know when the copies of my book you pre-ordered are expected to ship.
Other Ways You Can Help
- Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:
- Please Share my Pre-sale Campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with your friends, family and network. Please use #BesideTheNine and tag me as well as my publisher, New Degree Press so we can help amplify your efforts.
- You can easily share my Pre-Sale Campaign Page via Indiegogo at the top of the page.
- Please share my book to 5 friends, family members, or co-workers who you think would enjoy it. Please do this as a text message or Direct Message on social media.
Thank you so much for all of your love and support!
Thanks again,
Madison Elder