Words by Anna Lee Vaughn | Images by Justin Hunter
Ford Richardson, son of local attorney Robert F. Richardson, recently achieved his certification to practice law in the state of Alabama. Ford joined his father’s law firm in Jasper as an Associate Attorney, specializing in criminal and family law.
During college, Ford’s career choice eluded him for a while, although he knew that no matter his career path, the ultimate goal was to help others. Going into his undergraduate studies at Samford University with an undeclared major, Ford was adjusting to the smaller campus life versus his other college choice, the University of Alabama, and beginning to branch out and explore his interests. He eventually decided on a Communication Studies major with a minor in Sociology.
“I visited Samford’s Career Development Center people because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just knew that I enjoyed talking and connecting with people. So, they laid out several options for potential majors. One of them was History, and another one was Business. But we nailed down Communication Studies because it fit my personality, and it was a broad major that I could do a lot with,” Ford says.

Ford took several classes on interpersonal communication, learning the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the actions and communication between people. However, his decision to pursue law was solidified in a Legal Communications class. He applied and was accepted to Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, MS. He graduated in May 2023 and passed the Alabama Bar Examination in September.
“I really enjoyed law school, but to someone else, I’m sure it sounds miserable,” Ford laughs. “They make it difficult on purpose. The three years of study are divided into 1L, 2L, and 3L. I was always told that in 1L, they scare you to death; in 2L, they work you to death; and in 3L, they bore you to death. And that’s very true, but you learn more effectively that way. Because in reality, you’ll be dealing with real people’s problems, and their futures are banking on how you can represent them. So, law school teaches you early on how to work under pressure.”
In the future, Ford looks forward to positively impacting the people in his hometown while expanding his scope of law and bringing his strengths to the family business. The Walker Leader congratulates Ford Richardson on his achievements! WL