On November 13, 2024, the GW Law National Security, Cybersecurity, & Foreign Relations Law Program, with the Veteran Law Students Association, hosted the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Kevin A. Ohlson to commemorate Veterans Day. This year’s event entitled — What Constitutes ‘Service’ to Our Nation? — offered GW Law’s students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to observe Veterans Day and hear insights from Chief Judge Ohlson about his career in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and on the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Attendees included students, faculty, staff, and friends of GW Law, many of whom were veterans and active-duty military.
Chief Judge Ohlson is the current Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Throughout his career, Chief Judge Ohlson has served as an Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) officer, federal prosecutor, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney General, and Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General.
Pulling from his unique positions and the experiences of family, friends, and colleagues, Chief Judge Ohlson shared his perspective on military service. Throughout his remarks, Chief Judge Ohlson defined his position on what the phrase “Thank you for your service” means to him. He also recounted the lessons learned from his Airborne training and parachuting while on active duty at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg). He emphasized the importance of the role of judges and lawyers without a military background working with and serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, bringing enriching and diverse perspectives to the court. Finally, he concluded with the value of service in the legal setting.
During the question-and-answer portion of the event, Chief Judge Ohlson answered questions about careers as a JAG officer and judge, as well as his personal experience. He shared the rewarding and challenging aspects of his military and legal career while pointing out advice for young lawyers and students looking into military service as a legal career. Chief Judge Ohlson also gave an overview of his current work as chief judge and the work of the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in the military justice system.
GW Law’s National Security, Cybersecurity, & Foreign Relations Law Program and the Veteran Law Students Association were honored to host Chief Judge Ohlson for the annual Veterans Day event to celebrate legacies of service and leadership.
