1. Elizabeth Anania was born July 3, 1949, at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Florida. Her father, Vincent, was a Navy pilot, and the family moved frequently. By the time Elizabeth was 18, the Ananias had lived in 12 cities, including several in Japan. She now says that these experiences taught her how to connect with people quickly.

2. Elizabeth loves reading and literature. (She has said that her favorite author is Henry James.) In 1971, she graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in English, intending to become a professor. She spent three years working toward a graduate degree in American literature before deciding that job opportunities were better in the legal field.

3. Elizabeth enrolled in UNC's law school, where she was one of only 20 women in a class of 200. She was a standout student—her classmates remember a sharp, intelligent young woman who was not afraid to challenge her professors. One of her fellow students in the class of 1977 was her future husband.

4. Elizabeth met John Edwards in law school, and for their first date, he took her dancing at a local Holiday Inn. She was not very impressed with him until the end of the evening, when he said goodnight by giving her a kiss on the forehead. The gesture charmed her. They dated throughout law school and were married in 1977, on the Saturday after they took the North Carolina bar exam. Her wedding ring cost $11; his $22. The Edwardses then spent their first year of marriage living apart, clerking for judges in separate cities.