Chris Smith, '98

Chris Smith, ’98, likes to joke about a distinct honor he received when he graduated from the University of Richmond: At Commencement, his name was the last to be called.

“Jepson was the last school to be called and my name was the last name to be called, so I like to say I got a standing ovation when I graduated,” Smith quipped.

And while Smith might have been the end at graduation, graduation for him marked the beginning of a constantly evolving career in law. Smith, who attended Vanderbilt University Law School, currently serves as the Director of Federal Public Policy for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.

“My career path has twisted and turned a lot. A lot of it was unexpected,” said Smith.

Smith launched his career at a large law firm where he worked in insurance coverage defense, but he moved to a smaller firm for more responsibility and hands on work. Later, he worked with the Attorney General of Maryland, and later still, he began practicing medical malpractice defense. While Smith was working in medical malpractice, his aspirations shifted toward politics with a specialty in healthcare policy.

“I got into the law originally because I’ve always had a passion for politics, and law was a good pathway into that field,” said Smith.

Smith noted Jepson’s focus on critical and creative thinking helped him to navigate this shift: “I was able to apply those skills in finding multiple creative paths for breaking into public policy.”

In addition to volunteering for political campaigns, Smith did work on Capitol Hill with the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs and also earned a Master of Laws in Law and Government with a concentration in Health Law and Policy from American University’s Washington College of Law. He landed at the National Community Pharmacists Association as Director of Policy and Regulatory affairs.

Now that he is in the world of politics, Smith, who has also served as a healthcare law professor at Widener University School of Law, is confronted with questions of ethics and leadership every day.

“Everyone in that world believes they are a leader, and they all want you to believe they are ethical. However, the ethical failings of political leaders abound,” Smith said. “There are always shining examples of strong ethical behavior, but it seems like for every one of those, there are two that fail to pass muster.”

Smith returned to campus for the Jepson EDGE Institute in February where he presented on the lessons he’s learned in his career. His biggest piece of advice for students considering a career in law: “Go to work for a year or two in the legal field before going to law school and make sure it is what you really want.”

“I wish I had known the value of getting some experience in the work world before going to grad school,” remembered Smith. “First, you really get your first taste of what it means to have a job every day for the rest of your life and how that impacts your life. If you go straight to grad school, you still don’t really appreciate what waits for you at the end of school. You are still, at base, a student. Second, it gives you a chance to explore possible grad schools and other career paths.”

After all, graduation is really just a beginning.