05/25/2025
Lawson Marshall first fell in love with history in Peter Goodnow’s Watch Office elective, which simulates the operation of the foreign policy wing of the United States government. While visiting the Pentagon’s Office of Foreign Affairs during a flex block, he became fascinated with government action and policy making — a passion that led him to his externship at Whitmer & Worall, a bipartisan government relations and consulting firm in D.C.
During his externship, Marshall watched congressional hearings, wrote detailed reports on those hearings, and got a firsthand look at the complexities of the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and the White House. Whitmer & Worrall clients range from Fortune 500 companies to universities and local governments, giving Marshall a large range of insight into various organizations.
Despite being the only intern at the impressive firm, Marshall did not feel out of place — mostly thanks to soft skills he cultivated at Episcopal. “I learned that being sociable and having people skills is one of the biggest things about being successful,” he said. “EHS did a great job preparing me for that.”
A founding partner of the firm took Marshall out for coffee one day, which he says he will always remember. “He told me that the most important thing is being efficient and trustworthy,” Marshall said, “just being someone people can rely on.”
“Lawson was always very confident and well prepared when he presented class findings to real-world experts in and outside the federal government,” said Goodnow, who was not surprised Marshall went the lobbying route after the Watch Office class. “These interactions can be intimidating, but Lawson always impressed our hosts with his research and analysis. It’s great seeing him now on the other side of the desk!”
Lawson’s strength in his ability to develop connections and attention to detail will make him a force at Washington and Lee University in the fall.
