Courtesy Photo | Ernest Burford is an assistant division counsel and Disaster Relief Supplemental...... read more read more
FORT HAMILTON, N.Y. -- Ernest Burford was joking around with an attorney while working at Ford Motor Company when the idea of becoming a lawyer first sprouted.
“This attorney I worked with seemed to get the big checks,” Burford said. “One day, I asked this attorney, ‘How do I get a big check like that,’ and he said, ‘You go to law school.’ And that planted the seed for me.”
Once he applied and was accepted, Buford found he took quite well to the new curricula.
“Law school was probably the easiest thing I had done up until that point,” Burford said. “My high school was a high academic standard high school. Everyone was expected to and did go to college, and most of my courses there were what’s considered AP [Advanced Placement] courses now. So, by the time I got to college, I was fully prepared, and it made the process much easier.”
Burford considers his mother as his ultimate role model who set a good example for him to follow in terms of education.
“My mother was an educator and emphasized education not only through her words, but her actions,” he said. “As an adult, she went back to school to work on her master’s and PhD.”
For the past six months, Burford has worked as an assistant division counsel and Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law attorney for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Division.
“This is a really good, experienced staff of people who seem very dedicated to the mission and are extremely professional,” Burford said.
Early on in his career, Burford practiced criminal and civil law. He also worked at several federal agencies, including the Department of Labor, the Postal Service, the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office in Houston, Texas.
As a lawyer, Burford enjoys the creativity and the pace of the work.
“I enjoy the research required for most endeavors” Burford said. “I also enjoy solving problems and helping clients reach their goals.”
He joined USACE in April 2009 and has worked at multiple locations, such as the Southwestern Division, the Fort Worth District, the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division and Little Rock District.
Reflecting on his time with USACE, Burford noted he considers it the best workplace in his federal career because of the work-life balance and professionalism of coworkers and clients.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2023 10:12 |
| Story ID: | 439356 |
| Location: | FORT HAMILTON, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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