Sri Srinivasan's Wife Is An Impressive Lawyer, Too

With the unexpected death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia over the weekend, the bench of the highest court in the country remains pretty evenly divided along political lines. That could change soon, though, if President Obama is able to successfully nominate a new justice of his choosing before his second term expires. Perhaps the most talked-about potential nominee is current circuit court judge Sri Srinivasan. As it turns out, though, Srinivasan isn't the only one in his family with an impressive legal career: Srinivasan's wife Carla Garrett has achieved plenty of success in her own right, also.

Srinivasan, an Indian American, is married to Garrett, a lawyer and fellow Stanford Law School graduate. Although they began their legal experience at the same university, Srinivasan and Garrett have taken near opposite paths throughout their careers. Srinivasan has spent most of his legal career in the public sector, clerking for various courts and judges. In fact, he served as a clerk to Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor early in his career, which probably makes him a natural fit for the court's bench now that he's even more experienced. Srinivasan worked briefly at an international law firm, O'Melveny & Myers, and he even represented an Enron executive before the Supreme Court, but his private-sector resume is not as lengthy as his wife's.

Garrett currently runs her own legal practice, Carla J. Garrett, PLC. She provides legal counsel to large companies, small businesses, and individuals dealing with business matters. She is also a partner at the Potomac Law Group, a firm in Washington, D.C. There, she serves in the firm's corporate practice. According to her biography on the firm's website, she was the first general counsel of a publicly traded technology company.

Garrett has not worked extensively in the public sector like her husband, but she has served the community in many ways beyond the corporate world. She has previously organized a Stanford alumni event called "Day of Service" in Arlington, Virginia, where she lives with Srinivasan and their two twin children, Maya and Vikram. She has also volunteered with a local group that provides meals to homeless people, and she has represented a low-income housing group in Washington through pro bono legal work.

Although they've taken different paths in the legal field, Srinivasan and Garrett have managed to balance stellar careers while raising their children. Soon, they could have even more to balance. If Srinivasan actually does receive a seat on the Supreme Court bench, they'll already have the D.C. lifestyle down, but Srinivasan will be taking on one of the biggest jobs in the country.