1. Alumni Spotlight: Michael Brown ’19L

Michael Brown '19L is from Salem, Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 2016, where he majored in Philosophy with a pre-law concentration, and minored in Communication. While at W&L Law, Michael served as a clinical student caseworker in the Black Lung Clinic, where he represented coal miners and their surviving family in their pursuit of federal black lung benefits. Upon graduation, Michael spent two years clerking for the Honorable Carrie Bland of the Office of Administrative Law Judges for the Department of Labor in Washington, DC. Following his clerkship, Michael joined, and was commissioned as an officer in, the United States Air Force JAG Corps. He served as a prosecutor at the Joint Base Charleston Legal Office for two years before receiving his current assignment as a Victims' Counsel at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. In his capacity as a Victims' Counsel, Michael represents both military and civilian victims of domestic violence and sexual assault at every step of the military justice process to enforce their rights. Outside of work, Michael enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with his wife, Abby, and his two daughters, Reagan and Evelyn.

Discuss your career path and how it led you to working for Airforce JAG.

My career path has always had its foundation in service. The motto for Virginia Tech is Ut Prosim which means, "That I May Serve." That service-oriented culture at Tech allowed me to volunteer and gain valuable leadership experience. I found similar fulfillment at W&L, primarily through my work in the Black Lung Clinic and in the Trial Advocacy class. The clinic was my first opportunity to work with clients and impressed on me how important and rewarding that work is. The clinic and the Trial Ad class also allowed me to practice and hone my abilities as an advocate and litigator. These experiences were the first time I felt like I found my place in law school, because I got to advocate and experience the practice of law, rather than just taking the 1L classes. After graduation, I accepted a clerkship for the Office of Administrative Law Judges at the Department of Labor. Given my background in black lung litigation, my judge would often defer to my judgement when making decisions on her cases covered by the Black Lung Benefits Act. This was a fantastic opportunity for me to gain experience serving as an advisor to a senior attorney. As my clerkship was ending, I spoke with a different judge at DoL who had served in the Air Force JAG Corps. He spoke very highly about the quality of people in the JAG Corps, and about how fulfilling the work was. I also learned that being an Air Force JAG would permit me to serve clients again, continue to advise senior attorneys and now commanders, and I would get to litigate, all while serving my country and gaining leadership experience as an Air Force officer. So, I applied and got a call hours after my first daughter was born, that I had been accepted into the JAG Corps.

What sort of legal issues do you handle on a day-to-day basis?

My job predominately focuses on protecting the privacy of my clients and helping them assert their rights under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Prior to cases getting to court, I can help prepare my clients for interviews with investigators, trial counsel, and defense counsel. In a litigation setting, I have the most authority to limit or prevent both the government and defense from getting access to my client's medical records, or prevent the unnecessary release of evidence related to my clients' past sexual histories. Outside of that specific setting, I handle issues related to getting military protective orders from my clients' alleged offenders and advocating their interests to the local legal office or commander deciding their case. With my domestic violence clients, they are often dependents of an offending military member, and they will occasionally need assistance with getting financial support from that military member. I also represent victims who are minors, so there are added issues of effectively communicating with those clients and determining if they need a separate individual appointed to represent their interests.

What do you like about your current job?

My favorite aspect is getting to work closely with clients. I gained an appreciation for client-based work at W&L, and that still holds true in this position. I enjoy the challenge of taking a complicated military justice process and trying to synthesize it down to only the information that will best help my clients make decisions on how to get whatever form of justice they want. I also really enjoy getting to run my own office and the autonomy that follows. In the Air Force, both the defense counsel and victims' counsel usually run their own offices with just one paralegal. I have formed a great relationship with my paralegal, and it is a privilege to get to mentor him in his own military and legal career. Another aspect that's unique to my position is that being a victims' counsel is still a new-ish position in terms of the history of the JAG Corps, which means that the law around victims' rights is constantly changing. This has allowed me to get creative with my written and oral advocacy, and it also gives attorneys in my position the ability to argue their clients' rights to the various appeals courts within the military. Lastly, my office is in Montana, but I have the ability to represent clients that are located all over the world. This has enabled me to travel to unique places and support my fellow victims' counsel in those locations.

What are some practices you have in your daily life as an attorney to maintain wellness?

The best practice I have found is doing some form of physical activity. I am lucky that maintaining a certain level of fitness is expected in the military, and I am given time during the week to get that done. Even outside of doing exercise, I find that physically removing myself from my office is a nice mental break during the day. I also constantly work to not bring the job home with me. My job can be stressful, and I am often exposed to evidence or cases that can cause things such as vicarious trauma. I remember my first couple of cases in the legal office dealt with a vehicle fatality during a deployment, and the other with crimes against children. My mentors at the time encouraged me to speak with either them or a mental health professional to recalibrate and remain aware of the potential effect of those kinds of cases. I also feel as though I owe it to my family to be as present as possible with them whenever I am home. Lastly, it is important to have hobbies outside of work and to get outside of your comfort zone.

Which W&L classes and/or experiences do you think were most helpful in preparing you for this job?

The two most helpful experiences would undoubtedly by the clinical work that I did, and just getting to know my fellow classmates while I was at W&L. For the clinic, I have already mentioned that it gave me experience with advocacy and client work, but it also helped me learn to be a good teammate in a legal setting. I really enjoyed getting to work with my classmates on cases because we would be assigned as a 2^nd or 3^rd chair on each other's cases. I was always trying to make sure that I was being the type of teammate I would want on my own team. Further, I felt like most everyone I went to school with had a willingness to help each other out. I think this is a combo of the people who are drawn to W&L, and the ones that the school ultimately accepts.

What advice do you have for prospective law students?

My first piece of advice is for students to make a point to attend the social events hosted either by W&L or by their fellow students. I say this with the caveat that they should not overdo this aspect, and that the opportunities to learn about your classmates and build your network is invaluable. W&L is truly unique and having worked with a lot of attorneys from different law schools, no other law school fosters an environment to build the quality or quantity of relationships like I was able to. Law school is a naturally competitive environment, but I have found the actual practice of law to be very collaborative and built on relationships. Following from that, I would also advise that incoming students give law school the respect and discipline it deserves, while also making it a priority to take care of themselves. Law school and the legal profession tend to attract a certain personality type that is competitive and hardworking, which can also come at the expense of your mental and physical health. Law school is a great opportunity to practice professional skills, and I would encourage students to begin finding their healthy self-care routines as well. Lastly, if a student finds themselves wondering if they made the right decision in going to law school (me during 1L year), or if they start to feel the imposter syndrome, I will say that is normal and almost expected. Most of your classmates will be feeling the same way, and just know that you would not be at W&L if you had not demonstrated an ability to handle yourself up to this point.

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Outside of Work

Hobby

Cooking! The more remote location in Montana has definitely elevated the cuisine at home.

Book/Podcast Recommendation

Casefile, great podcast for fans of true crime.

Favorite Travel Location

DC and anywhere on the Appalachian Trial that crosses through southwestern VA.

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