On November 6, 2025, the GW Law National Security, Cybersecurity, & Foreign Relations Law Program, with the Veteran Law Students Association (VLSA), hosted Lieutenant General (LTG) (Ret.) Joseph B. Berger III, the 42nd Judge Advocate General of the United States Army, to commemorate Veterans Day.
This year’s event, entitled "Service: A Lifetime Calling," offered GW Law’s students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to observe Veterans Day and hear insights from LTG Berger about his career in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, as Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and currently as the Executive Director of the American Inns of Court Foundation. Attendees included students, faculty, staff, and friends of GW Law, many of whom were veterans and active-duty military.
LTG Berger served for 33 years in the U.S. Army, 27 of which were in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He retired as a lieutenant general after serving as the 42nd Judge Advocate General (TJAG) of the Army. As TJAG, he advised the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff on the full spectrum of legal issues. He previously served as the Deputy Judge Advocate General; as Commander of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency and Chief Judge of the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals; and as Commander of The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, overseeing hundreds of education and training programs.
Drawing from his distinguished career, LTG Berger shared his perspective on the role of lawyers in uniform. Throughout his remarks, he emphasized the importance of principled counsel and reflected on moments when lawyers must have the courage to speak truth to power, especially when delivering advice that leaders need to hear rather than what they may want to hear. His comments underscored the enduring importance of moral courage and ethical judgment, both in uniform and in the legal profession. He concluded by calling for both public and private service grounded in the rule of law and a commitment to upholding the Constitution through serving something greater than oneself.
Following his address, VLSA Vice President Lyndon Guest joined LTG Berger for a conversation that spanned topics from his early motivation to serve to the end of his tenure as The Judge Advocate General. The exchange offered students a rare window into the challenges and responsibilities that accompany leadership at the highest levels of military law. The discussion then opened to audience questions, where students, faculty, and veterans asked about the costs of service, ethical leadership, and preparing one’s moral compass before entering the workforce.
The event concluded with informal conversation and photos, as LTG Berger stayed to meet attendees and share parting reflections. His humility, insight, and authenticity left a lasting impression on all present.
GW Law’s National Security, Cybersecurity, & Foreign Relations Law Program and the Veteran Law Students Association were honored to host LTG Berger for the annual Veterans Day event to celebrate legacies of service and leadership.
LTG Berger will be joining GW Law as a Professorial Lecturer in Law in Fall 2026 to teach Nation Building and the Rule of Law.
