Spotlight on Arthur Marshall '78
Source/Author: Stacy Alexander, Director of Alumni and Community Engagement
September 19, 2019
Arthur Marshall’s advice to graduating Shorecrest students is two-fold. First, pursue an area that both engages you and which you truly enjoy. Without those qualities, that oft-mentioned “mid-life crisis” can come crashing down far too early. Second, always have a back-up in case you tire of your work, relocate, or simply need to make a life change.
From our recent visit with Arthur, we know he has personally practiced these life lessons.
After his graduation from Shorecrest, Arthur earned his B.A. from Stetson and his Juris Doctorate from the Hamline University School of Law. He initially worked on Capitol Hill and in the White House, and ultimately served as the Legal Advisor to the Secretary of Education and in other appointments at the U.S. Department of Education. He earned both a judicial and mediation certification at the National Judicial College (University of Nevada). He then took and passed the federal administrative law judge exam. Becoming a Federal Administrative Law Judge seemed a logical next step after years of hearing and deciding departmental appeals on behalf of the Secretary of Education, mediating claims, and working as a fact-finder in other administrative matters.
While pursuing a successful legal career, Arthur continued exploring additional interests and returned to school at the University of Virginia (UVA) to earn a Masters in Education and an Educational Specialist degree. He credits his time at the University of Virginia studying special education and education administration with providing him the option of a meaningful second or secondary career. That area has not only brought him much enjoyment in both training, volunteering, and speaking, but also some unexpected employment offers.
Arthur adds, “do not be afraid to change your milieu or shake up your environment – most of your life truly does occur when you are planning something else.”
Arthur adds, “do not be afraid to change your milieu or shake up your environment – most of your life truly does occur when you are planning something else.”
Since 2005, he has been an administrative judge at the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), a component of the US Department of Defense. DOHA principally provides hearings and issues decisions in security clearance cases for DOD civilian employees and U.S. military personnel, decides special education cases regarding DOD School Activity benefits, and holds TRICARE/CHAMPUS medical benefits reviews. He mentioned of his career, “as a bonus, the work is always interesting and it often involves travel.”
In Arthur’s words, “I believe three individuals helped guide me toward becoming a judge: At Shorecrest, John Hodgdon and Marion Russell encouraged my interest in law through Latin, literature, and history. In law school, I clerked for a federal judge who persuaded me to pursue administrative law for its variety. I would like to say I ended up working in a judicial capacity through some brilliantly calculated design, but it was more the result of long hours and sheer happenstance.”
In between his busy schedule and travel assignments, Arthur has found time to be an alumni advisor for Sigma Phi Epsilon at the University of Minnesota, has volunteered at a Washington DC food bank, and has served on UVA's DC Metro campus steering committee. For several years, he enjoyed lecturing at UVA on topics related to General and Special Education (law, legislation, and funding). He also assisted with coursework and training for teachers and caregivers for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Arthur says of this experience, “It is heartening how many people these days seek out such training so they can better interact with those they simply meet in everyday life.”
