Spotlight on White & Allen’s Summer Clerk Sybil Sides: Gaining Experience, Building Confidence, and Finding Community

This summer, White & Allen, P.A. is proud to welcome Ms. Sybil Sides, a rising legal talent from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, to our clerkship program. Sybil joins us with a deep commitment to advocacy and an eagerness to learn; both qualities that have made her a stand out addition to our firm.

Sybil’s journey to the legal profession began not in a courtroom, but in a psychiatry clinic. After graduating from NC State, she worked closely with patients whose treatment had been denied by insurance companies. Writing appeal letters on their behalf awakened a passion for advocacy that ultimately led her to law school. Sybil chose Campbell University for its location and its swift path to a legal education. “I’d been living in Raleigh for five years and wanted to stay close to family. Campbell made the most sense,” she says. “I actually love the grind of law school. I love a challenge and staying busy.”

During her time at White & Allen, Sybil has gained valuable experience working under some of our firm’s top attorneys. From attending estate planning meetings with Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning Chris Henderson to drafting discovery documents and motions alongside civil litigation attorneys Lee Percise and John Marshall.  Sybil has immersed herself in work across multiple practice areas. “I never expected to enjoy it as much as I do,” she admits. “I’ve always loved the classroom, but now I find myself just as excited, if not more so, to come into the office each day.”

Sybil credits the mentorship she’s received at the firm with helping her grow in both skill and confidence. “Chris, John, Lee, and Savannah [Moore, family law attorney] have been very supportive. They’ve encouraged me to share my thoughts and take up space.” And while she originally envisioned a career in legal academia, a moment in court shifted her perspective. “After watching David Fillippeli [family law attorney] advocate for his client, I realized I wanted to be in the courtroom.”

Sybil came to White & Allen after hearing about us during a Small Town Firm Panel hosted at Campbell. “John Marshall mentioned he worked in Kinston, and I immediately wanted to learn more.” Sybil liked the idea of doing meaningful work in a place that values its people, its community.

She might have learned more than just legal writing and procedure while she has been with us. Sybil discovered that balance is possible. “This experience has helped me realize that I can have a successful career and still be family-oriented and take care of myself.”

Outside of the law, Sybil is full of surprises. She illustrated a children’s book while still in high school called Charlotte Makes a Splash by author Mitzi Moye. She unwinds by listening to what she calls “the good music”—Dire Straits, Allman Brothers, and the Bee Gees, and Sybil is not afraid to get her hands dirty. She jokes that plumbing is her contingency career if law doesn’t pan out.

When asked to summarize her time with White & Allen in one word, Sybil chose “educational.” “I’ve learned more in the past month about what I’m interested in than I did in my first year of law school,” she said. “But the biggest thing I’ll remember is the people. Everyone here has been so warm and eager to make me feel welcomed.”

White & Allen, P.A. has proudly served Eastern North Carolina for almost a century, and we believe that investing in future attorneys like Sybil is part of that legacy. For law students looking to gain real-world experience in a small-town firm that values mentorship, hands-on learning, and community, White & Allen is a place where careers, and relationships, are “Built on Trust.”