One day many years ago a former boss called to tell me about a job opening for 'someone like you." A federal advisory commission on human experimentation was about to hold its first meeting and needed a staff director. I was intrigued by the opportunity but dubious. Protecting human research subjects would be a stretch, career-wise. Since law school I had worked briefly in civil rights but mainly in financial regulation. And I wasn't sure what 'someone like you" meant.