A Higher Calling

The story of how The Reverend Luther Zeigler traded power ties for the priestly collar has become central to his ministry as the Episcopal chaplain at Harvard University. "I’m deeply passionate about vocational discernment," says Zeigler, who walked away from a 21-year career as a litigator at Crowell & Moring seven years ago to pursue his calling. "I work with students to take the time to find out what they’re really passionate about, what they’re really good at, and find out how that meets the world’s needs," he says.

Hyperachieving Harvard students can identify with Zeigler’s story. He took the LSAT on a whim while pursuing a Ph.D. in religious studies, and scored well enough to land a spot at Stanford Law School in 1982. Zeigler’s wife, Pat, whom he married right after college and who is now of counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, says that Luther felt the economic pressure of being a young father—the first of their two daughters was born while he was in law school—as well as being the first member of his immediate family to attend college. "I got on the escalator that is the law school and big-firm way," he adds.