The path that led Ben Franklin ’06 to a career in law started out when he was just a kid growing up in Danbury, Conn. In high school, he took part in a mock-trial program and interned at a local law firm to see if he liked the work, and he did. “Law is one of those things I wanted to do ever since I was in elementary school,” Franklin said. Coming to Mary Washington turned out to be a good step toward that goal. Franklin, 27, picked UMW because he wanted a smaller liberal arts college with a good history department. He also wanted a school far enough away from home to allow him what he called “that true college experience.” What he learned in his four years at Mary Washington helped lay the foundation for his chosen career. Franklin got involved in the University’s Debate Program, where he honed his skills in advocacy and oral persuasion. In his classes, Franklin said, the close interaction with faculty taught him about researching and writing. That one-on-one work with … [Read more...]