The judge I clerked for, while stern at times, was like a second father to me. I always found it interesting, at law clerk lunches and happy hours, how ready the law clerks for the other judges on the court were to divulge dark secrets of their chambers. My sense was that the judges for the most part knew this was going on. None openly approved the practice, and several of the judges (who probably would be viewed as "meanies" by today's lax standards) took effort to discourage their clerks from flapping their lips about business in chambers. Such efforts generally failed, but fortunately I had the presence of mind -- and due respect for "my" Judge -- to keep my mouth shut.