Campbell Law Spotlight: Virginia Walker ’23
Virginia (Ginny) Walker ’23 describes her professional journey as a testament to the power of reflection, goal setting and being open to new opportunities.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) with a business degree, Walker started her professional career working for a Wilmington bank. She says her favorite aspect of this role was counseling business owners and getting to work with them for years at a time to help them achieve their business goals. However, after a few years of working at the bank, Walker took a moment to reflect on her career trajectory over the next five to 10 years.
Looking ahead, she wanted to advance herself but realized that many senior positions at the bank were more sales-oriented and lacked the long-term client counseling components she loved about her current position. Around the same time, Walker coincidentally attended a trusts and estates meeting for her family, where she recognized that the attorney leading the meeting held her dream job. The experience made her realize that estate planning attorneys can climb to the top of their profession while still enjoying all the client-facing aspects she loved about her position as a business analyst.
When Walker made the decision to attend Campbell Law School, she was fueled by a clear vision of specializing in estate planning and potentially pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) in taxation to enhance her expertise. She said she was drawn to the field’s dynamic nature and the opportunity to become a trusted confidant for families, guiding them through significant life transitions and financial decisions.
Throughout her academic journey in law school, Walker remained steadfast in her commitment to gaining practical experience across a wide range of legal practices. She took full advantage of the many opportunities available to her and served as a research assistant in trusts and estates, interned at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina for Judge David Warren, worked at a boutique firm specializing in trusts and estates, worked at a mid-size firm doing corporate and bankruptcy law and interned at a pro bono firm.
One particular experience that Walker said underscored her passion for business planning was spending a year sitting on the board of her family’s closely held business. This provided her with insight into what it’s like to be the financial planning client and enabled her to work with the business through the due diligence and disclosures process when the family decided to sell the business. Walker said the experience also made her more excited about estate planning because many clients are closely held business owners like the family she grew up in.
Key law school mentors, such as Professor John DeStefano, played a pivotal role in guiding Walker’s career trajectory, providing invaluable advice and encouragement, she explained. “Their passion for the profession inspired me to stay focused on my long-term goals while embracing the challenges and opportunities that come my way,” she added.
After graduating from Campbell Law, Walker pursued her LLM at Georgetown University so she could be best prepared to navigate evolving tax laws and serve her clients’ diverse needs, whether in charitable planning, business succession or private client services, she said.
As Walker prepares for the next phase of her career, she highlights the importance of self-reflection, goal setting and seeking out mentorship. Armed with a strong foundation in business, a passion for client counseling and a commitment to lifelong learning, Walker says she is poised to make a meaningful impact in the field of estate planning and business planning.
“As I look forward to my career, I am excited to leverage the skills I learned at Campbell Law to help families navigate complex legal and financial landscapes, ensuring their legacies are preserved for generations to come,” she said.