During class at Columbia Law School almost two-dozen years ago, Brad Meltzer had a brainstorm for a book he wanted to write. On the back of his calendar, where he jotted down all his ideas, he wrote, “clerk, Supreme Court.”

The idea turned into a manuscript for “The Tenth Justice,” a legal thriller that earned him a six-figure book advance. He never looked back. Living the dream that some lawyers covet, Meltzer built a rich and varied career devoid of billable hours.