It was April 1999 and I had started Marler Clark just a year before. However, I still had the political bug (I had been elected in 1977, at 19, as the first and youngest elected official in the state of Washington and perhaps in the U.S), and I was being asked to explore a run against a sitting senator. I did several trips to D.C. and decided to tour the state to see if people were interested in a 40 something foodborne illnesses lawyer as a possible senator.

The day my third daughter was born, I flew to Eastern Washington to meet with party officials and activists (her birth certificate said “Baby Girl Marler”). At the airport I was met with the smiling face of a reporter who asked a bunch of questions, including what was the name of the new Marler. Time seemed to stand still for a moment before I blurted out “Sydney Camille Marler” – a name that my wife and I had not agreed on.

Note: Sidney (with an i) was my wife’s grandfather and Camille was mine.

After getting home my wife mentioned that we should probably come up with a name – I sheepishly said, “Have you read the paper?” Well, I am still married, I am not a senator, and Syd’s name fits her well.