On a shelf in the chambers of the U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs is a sculpture of a large elephant using its trunk to pull up a smaller elephant. A gift from a former clerk, the piece is a symbol of an often-cited phrase by the judge: “Hold the ladder down” so others may climb up.

Childs, whose chambers are in Columbia, South Carolina, has been “holding the ladder down” in multiple ways in her professional and personal lives, according to former clerks and others.

This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.

To view this content, please continue to their sites.

Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]