Staff Writer

For the summer, Ashley Good has traded her running shoes and shorts for heels and dresses as she gets some practical insight into becoming an attorney.

The 20-year-old rising junior and track standout at Clemson University hopes to become a business lawyer and is interning until the end of July with Union County Clerk of Court Brad Morris.

“We are glad to have her,” Morris said. “She's brilliant and she has a good future ahead of her and I hope we can help her with her future plans to become an attorney. Anytime we get a chance to help a young person from Union, we will.”

Ashley grew up in Jonesville, the daughter of Danny Good and Jackie Good. The 2006 Jonesville High School graduate excelled in track, basketball, volleyball, tennis and softball and won seven individual track and field state championships. Her sister, Tiara, was a standout basketball player who graduated from Wake Forest and Lander universities. They also have a step-brother, D.J. Humphries, a Presbyterian College graduate.

This summer, Ashley will work 160 hours with the clerk of court's office to earn three college credit hours. When she isn't there, she is working at her other two jobs - at Haemonetics and Subway.

“I try to keep myself busy all the time,” she said.

Ashley attributes this constant on the go quality to her mother.

“She is self-driven and I just look up to her,” she said. “She has two jobs. She encourages me and my sister to hold things down and do what we have to to keep things going.”

As part of her internship, Ashley has been sitting through sessions of criminal, family and magistrate's court. She said the experiences have been eye-opening and fun.

“It was my first time dealing with live court, up close and personal,” she said. “I couldn't believe some of the things I heard and saw. Some of the things I couldn't believe went on in Union, which is such a small town, but these things are happening everywhere.”

During criminal court she sat with Morris at the clerk of court's table directly in front of the judge.

“I got a feeling of everything going on in the courtroom,” she said. “My main objective was to see things from both sides and from the perspective of the judge.”

This summer, Ashley also participated in a “CSI Summer Camp” for third- and fourth-graders where they did a mock trial.

“Each child had a role,” she said. “They did a good job and I enjoyed working with them.”

After she completes her political science degree, Ashley plans to attend law school in state or in North Carolina or Georgia.

“My future plans are if my sister continues to play basketball, I plan to be her agent,” she said.