1. Hometown: Born & raised in Philadelphia, and though it's been over 2 decades since I left, I still get teary when I encounter a properly-prepared soft pretzel.

2. Favorite Author: I'm a big Philip Roth fan. I've often wondered, and feared, what that says about me. His characters, his rants, and his relentless irony all resonate with me, it's often spooky.

3. Favorite College memory: (Well, not my favorite, but perhaps most important) Seeing the Socratic method being used for the first time. Ed Beiser, who passed away last year after a dreadful battle with Parkinson's, was a Professor of Political Science at Brown. He also was a brilliant teacher and a remarkably precise questioner. His questions echoed in our ears into the evening, in dorm room conversations, and for years after graduation. We're still struggling to come up with adequate answers.

4. Favorite law school memory: Telling Lawrence Tribe, in a fit of enthusiasm, "After all, isn't that what the First Amendment is all about?"

5. Favorite Durham restaurant or activity: Going to the Regulator Bookstore and seeing my friends who work at Whole Foods, then going to Whole Foods and seeing my friends who work at the Regulator. Then seeing them all at the Paperhand Puppets show.