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Planting Seeds in the Desert: Interviews with Legal Oasis Interns (Part 5)

Jim, a white man with grey and brown hair, wears a white shirt, pale blue tie and navy suit.
Jimbo Perry

In this blog post series, interns who are participating in the Legal Oasis Internship program discuss their participation in the program and why they choose to live and serve in an underserved area. Background on this program can be found in the initial blog post of this series. It is our hope that others will be inspired by these stories.

The fifth post in this series is an interview with Sydney Sheppard, a rising 2L at Campbell Law School. She is an intern with Judge C. Winston Gilchrist in District 12 Superior Court.

The interview was conducted by James S. Perry, a small-town practitioner in Kinston. Mr. Perry is also on the Professionalism Committee with the NCBA and is currently the Executive Director of the Chief Justice Commission on Professionalism.


Sydney, a white woman with brow hair, wears a black blouse and a cream-colored jacket.

Sydney Sheppard

Background

I am a rising second-year student attending Campbell University School of Law. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in media and journalism and political science. I grew up super shy and reserved, and I hardly spoke to my peers. I had the privilege of attending a boarding school for high school where I learned how to advocate for myself and others and became comfortable expressing myself. I came to law school because I once felt voiceless, and I want to help and protect those who may relate to that feeling. Advocacy has become not only extremely important to me, but a passion of mine. I am extremely grateful for Campbell’s excellent advocacy program, as I have been able to develop this passion into litigation skills. While at Campbell, I have also served on the Honor Court, which has been an amazing experience and has been crucial to my understanding of professionalism surrounding the legal field.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope to make a tangible impact in my community. I have always had a heart for public service. My background before attending law school was working as an intern in communications for the City of Raleigh. I loved the community engagement aspect of the work where the residents were the focus and main priority. This experience shaped my career goals that I have carried with me throughout my study of law. As a future attorney, I hope to practice in a community I am passionate about, build real connections, and make a real lasting impact.

What are you doing this summer?

This summer I am working in District 12, or Harnett and Lee Counties for Judge C. Winston Gilchrist in Superior Court. I have had some amazing opportunities, not only connecting with a smaller community, but getting to learn from such a knowledgeable, patient and kind judge. I have had the opportunity to observe a large medical malpractice case. Not only did I watch high-caliber attorneys litigate a case from start to finish, but I was able to tackle hands-on research projects with Judge Gilchrist as a mentor to explain the process to me along the way. Judge Gilchrist included me in every step of the process, and I feel truly blessed that I have been able to learn so much in such a short amount of time. I cannot thank the Legal Oasis Fellowship or Judge Gilchrist enough for welcoming me into the field with open arms.

Would you recommend this fellowship to other students?

This internship has the unique ability to match the needs of both the intern and the community. I could not have asked for a better fit for myself than to work in District 12 with Judge Gilchrist. The Legal Oasis Fellowship takes the time to not only get to know its fellows as students, professionals, and future lawyers, but they take the time to really get to know each one of us personally. The fellowship spent lots of time helping place each one of us in the perfect role for our individual needs. I have never felt so supported than I have this summer by my mentor, Judge Gilchrist, and by the Fellowship Director, Jimbo Perry. I would recommend this fellowship to anyone looking to make lasting connections in a local community here in North Carolina. I am very blessed to have been a fellow this summer, and I hope every student with similar goals to mine will get the opportunity to experience this fellowship.

How has this fellowship shaped your future plans?

My experience this summer has taught me a lot about myself and my interests. Coming into my internship, I was very excited about criminal law but did not have much exposure to other practice areas. However, observing Superior Court gave me the opportunity to view both civil and criminal court, which has made me equally eager to explore careers in civil litigation. While my interest in criminal law has not faded, this fellowship opened my eyes to new possibilities and equipped me with knowledge applicable to every practice area. It also taught me how much I value connections with others, and there is no better way to make deep professional bonds than working in a community where they know one another personally and are eager and excited to expand their community to law students and young lawyers.

Sydney Sheppard is a rising second-year student at Campbell University School of Law. She is a Legal Oasis Intern with Judge C. Winston Gilchrist in District 12 Superior Court. She obtained a B.A. in media and journalism and a B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While in law school, she serves as an Honor Court Justice and is an Alternate for Campbell’s Competitive Mock Trial Team.