Veterans Bring Service Experience to Law School

To most Virginia Law students, North Grounds and the Middle East are worlds apart. But to an increasing number of combat veterans now attending UVA Law, attending law school is simply the next step in their lives that have taken them around the world.
by Seth Brostoff

They have served in Kosovo and Egypt, and have seen combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. And while they have a unique—nearing expert—perspective on the most controversial news item of the last decade, most UVA Law veterans don’t publicize their service.

Brendan Dignan ’08, treasurer of the Virginia Law Veterans, served in Kosovo with the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division. He later served in Iraq for 13 months. Dignan humorously explains the tactical advantages of keeping his veteran status quiet, especially when the Iraq war comes up for debate.

“If people bring up Iraq, I usually don’t tell people what I did before law school so I can hear what they really have to say.”

Law veterans are characteristically modest about their time spent in combat, even though the group is an unusual cross-section of the military’s brightest. Adam Schwartz ’07, vice president of the Virginia Law Veterans, agrees…

“I think our classmates would be amazed by the things the Law Vet sitting next to them in class did before law school.”

When asked, Law Veterans do give their insights about civilian misperceptions of the current conflict. Michael Chapman ’09, a VMI graduate who served as an Airborne Ranger in the U.S. Army and later served in Afghanistan and Iraq as a paramilitary officer with the CIA, questions a widespread assumption that all soldiers share similar politics.

“The reasons soldiers fight seem to be just as diverse as their politics or opinions of the war.”

Chapman also commented on how the quality of the debate has changed since most people have by now made up their opinion on the war.

Scott Jones ’09, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer, has other thoughts about civilian attitudes towards the War on Terror. Jones worries that too many Americans share a common view that the war does not involve them. He would like to see more people engaging in the debate or enlisting.

“If your country is at war, carry a protest sign or carry a rifle.”

Jones, who has made his own share of sacrifices, first came to UVA Law in 2002 on a JAG contract, but left in January 2003 to fulfill his military obligations. He served two tours in Iraq before returning to North Grounds last fall.

Will Bushman ’08 graduated from West Point in 1999. He served as an Airborne Ranger with the 82nd Airborne Division from 2000 to 2003. He participated in 31 jumps and obtained Senior Parachutist status.

Consistent with the good nature of UVA Law’s veterans, Bushman claims his parachuting experience was “nothing crazy.”

“They just put an extra star on top of your jump wings.”

Bushman later deployed with the 82nd to Egypt and Afghanistan, patrolled the demilitarized zone in Korea, and left active service as a captain in July 2005. Like most servicemen, he didn’t get much of a vacation before starting his 1L year.

There is significant change moving from military to civilian life, only compounded by the short transition period.

“There were usually guidelines for right and wrong in the military, and law school is rarely that way,” Dignan says.

Kevin Hakala ’09 enlisted in the Army after high school, turning down a ROTC scholarship. He served as a linguist with military intelligence before deploying to Iraq for seven months. The biggest change for Hakala is time spent with his children, an option he didn’t have when he was at war. Family life is now a top priority he balances with law school.

“When it comes down to having an actual choice between finishing my work and spending an hour or two with my kids, it’s the school work that usually suffers.”

The Virginia Law Veterans, a formal umbrella group open to vets and non-vets alike, continues to foster ties between UVA Law students and the armed services. The group’s combat dimension has taken on new significance since the War on Terror began, and this has widened the organization’s scope.

“Unlike when I arrived at the school in 2004, most members of our group are now combat veterans,” Schwartz explains. “[Their presence helps] students and faculty to associate people they know with black-box terms like ‘the military’ and ‘the troops’ when they debate these issues.”

The group will organize a JAG interest event in April for anyone interested in becoming a military lawyer or finding out more about the JAG Corps. They will also hold their annual Fun Run, a 5K run/bar crawl around Charlottesville. Last year, the group raised over $1,000 for military children whose parents had lost their lives.

Nevertheless, the veterans still keep a low profile. Like most aspects of civilian life, many law students view the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a distant controversy unrelated to law journals, career goals, and the next Bar Review. Dignan says this disconnect can be a source of amusement.

“I remember the first couple weeks of school, a friend of mine was over at my apartment,” Dignan recalls. “She saw a picture of me with some friends in uniform and asked if that was from a costume party.”

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