It was 1974, and Marlene Trestman had just begun her freshman year at college. Encouraged by her high school counselor at the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, Trestman phoned one of the Jewish school’s more notable alums, Bessie Margolin, who had recently retired from a nearly 40-year-law career as a champion of the New Deal and the Equal Pay Act.
Margolin, who Trestman later said spoke with a “wonderful mix of the southern side of a New Orleans accent” told the timid 18-year-old that she had a nice speaking voice. It was a compliment of the highest order from the veteran U.S. Supreme Court advocate who considered a lawyer’s voice quality to be a clear indicator of her ability to practice.
