 |
Jordan Walton '12 and Anne Derby McDougall, Esq. '79 |
3/16/12Great things happen when Randolph-Macon College alumni and students team up in the workplace.
Jordan Walton ’12 participated in a January Term (
J-term) internship in the Freed & Shepherd, P.C. Law Office in Ashland, Virginia. Under the guidance of
Anne Derby McDougall, Esq. ’79, Walton learned about different types of law, attended client consultations and accompanied McDougall on assignment.
“We observed cases and arguments in various courts, from Hanover County to the Virginia Supreme Court and even the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond,” says McDougall. “We also met with my professional associates and lots of different attorneys, including the Hanover Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Chief Staff Attorney for the Virginia Court of Appeals.” One of the meetings—with Hanover County Sherriff Col. David R. Hines—led to the offer of a future internship for Walton in the Sheriff’s Office.
Walton, a Mechanicsville, Virginia native, is an
economics/business major with a minor in
ethics. He was inspired by McDougall’s guidance and mentorship.
“Working with such a successful alumna opened my eyes to what a Randolph-Macon degree can mean,” says Walton. “Anne’s passion for R-MC and for her career makes me appreciate even more my four years at Randolph-Macon. The internship changed the way I go about making connections: I now know that having a network of friends and professionals is vital for a lawyer.”
This was the first time that Freed & Shepherd hosted a college-student intern. R-MC Economics/Business Professor Ed Showalter, the director of the
Bassett Internship Program, called McDougall to ask her about hosting an intern.
“I didn't know Jordan personally, but I knew that he was an award-winning athlete, and I am very invested in being a supportive presence to R-MC student-athletes, so I wanted to provide a meaningful internship for him,” says McDougall. Walton, a
standout on the baseball field, was in 2011 named a First-Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association. He is the first R-MC player to garner First-Team All-American honors in program history.
At Freed & Shepherd, Walton also drafted estate plans, set up limited-liability companies and researched areas of interest—including ethics for lawyers and small businesses—for McDougall. “He was always willing to tackle any project or assignment,” says McDougall. “Jordan applied himself with great discipline and enthusiasm and he displayed the intellectual abilities that lawyers require to be successful.”
Professor David Brat, chair of the Department of Economics and Business, supervised Walton during his internship.
“Internships are invaluable to students; they can see up-close how things in the ‘real world’ work,” says Brat. “Jordan and I met several times throughout his internship. As a mentor and advisor, it’s exciting to see our students working side by side with professionals. Anne had the month planned out with every type of legal education included, from theory to document writing to meeting with lawyers and judges at every level of the judicial system. I was lucky to be included in their trip to the Federal Court of Appeals. We all learned a lot, but the learning did not stop there. Anne had arranged for staff attorneys of that court to join us for lunch to educate us on the behind-the-scenes work that is done to prepare for such cases. We are very fortunate to have our best students involved with great professionals like Anne.”
As a Yellow Jacket fan, McDougall says it was exciting to have an athlete of Jordan’s caliber in the office.
“Through
baseball he has learned great life lessons about teamwork, preparation, competition and struggle,” she notes. “All these skills will be very useful for him if he decides to practice law! Because we both love sports, we always had things to talk about to escape the daily grind of legal work. Our love for
R-MC athletics was common ground for us from day one.”
Walton, who is considering law school, credits Baseball Coach Ray Hedrick and Economics/Business Professor Steve Lang for helping him throughout his R-MC tenure.
“Coach Hedrick has helped me build the discipline and character I need to succeed,” he says. “Professor Lang has been my advisor for four years and is always there when I have a question about class or my future plans.”
McDougall reflects on a month well spent.
“I hope that the main benefits for Jordan were observing the way lawyers apply our skills in service to our clients and learning that the legal profession is collegial— negotiation and compromise are very important, especially in the courtroom. I tried to show Jordan that becoming part of a cooperative network of attorneys is key to a successful private practice that serves the needs of a community. Finally, I hope it will be valuable for him to know all the ‘inside information’ he needs for applying to law schools and some tips for making law school work for you... instead of against you.”
The Bassett Internship Program, now in its 30th year, is dedicated to providing a real-world backdrop for future academic learning, as well as preparation for life after graduation.
January Term (J-term) offers R-MC students the opportunity to explore the world, a career, or a single subject in depth.