When Jeffrey Fisher spent a year as a law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens 25 years ago, he commuted to work on Washington’s subway. He has generally traveled to the court the same way for his 45 arguments since then because it feels so familiar, even after one heart-stopping journey.

One morning, the train stalled and lost power in a tunnel between stations for what Fisher called “about the longest seven minutes of my life.” Power was restored, and Fisher arrived in time.