Syracuse Law Pointed Student Leader Toward Career with U.S. Army JAG Corps

A man with short brown hair and a beard, wearing a gray suit, striped shirt, and patterned tie, smiles confidently while leaning on a white partition in a modern office or academic setting. The background features glass windows, bright lighting, and a blurred figure walking in the distance.

Brett VanBuren L’25 went to college at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with the intention of serving his country. But, his college plans were sidelined by an injury that resulted in an honorable discharge. Still, he remained true to West Point’s mission of creating “leaders of character” who were “ready for a lifetime of service” on a new path that led him to Syracuse University College of Law.

After finishing his bachelor’s degree at Marist College and working in marketing in New York City, he enrolled at Syracuse Law in 2022. Today, VanBuren is a 3L who has made the most of his time at Syracuse Law, taking on leadership roles in several of the School’s societies, including president of the Corporate Law Society and treasurer of the Military and Veterans Law Society, the Intellectual Property Law Society and the International Law Society.

During the 2022-2023 academic year, he served as president of the Class of 2025. And, in 2023, VanBuren was issued the Unsung Hero Award by the Syracuse Student Bar Association (SBA) in recognition for the hard work and achievements in organizing many in-person and virtual events, volunteering at SBA functions and raising the most money in recent history for a first-year class at Syracuse Law. VanBuren is the former law school representative to the Syracuse University board of trustees, which is the highest appointed leadership position for a Syracuse Law student.

Two men sit at a table engaged in discussion, looking at each other. One wears a blue polo shirt and glasses, while the other wears a gray Army West Point sweatshirt. A laptop covered in various stickers and an open book or notebook are on the table. The background is bright and modern, suggesting a study or work environment.

“I’m involved in a lot of activities. When I was a 1L, I was the person organizing a happy hour during orientation week, so we could all get to know each other, or, this year, planning the General Counsel Symposium through the Corporate Law Society that brought students together with alumni and other general counsels from across the country,” he explains. “I’m grateful that others see me as a leader and someone who will advocate for them or acknowledge that their complaints or ideas have been heard. I think it’s important to be a leader wherever you go.”

His original intention was to work in corporate law. But, it was Teaching Professor Elizabeth Kubala, director of Veteran and Military Affairs and Executive Director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, who knew VanBuren had attended West Point and asked if he’d ever considered the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). According to VanBuren, JAGs serve as lawyers in a wide range of legal roles for the Army, covering a wide gambit of topics. In a legal assistance capacity, JAGs help with divorce, child custody issues, immigration, writing wills and any other legal assistance that soldiers, veterans or their dependents need. They also handle administrative law issues related to labor and employment, environmental law, working with international partners, and issues related to laws or war and laws of armed contract, as well as criminal law and court-martials.  

A man in a gray suit and striped tie speaks into a microphone while gesturing with his hands at a podium bearing the Syracuse University seal. A blue banner with the Syracuse University College of Law logo and an orange 'S' stands beside him.

With his interest piqued, VanBuren was accepted into the highly competitive JAG Corps Intern Program, which only takes 30 1Ls each summer from across the country. Following his first year of law school, he spent the summer at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where he helped soldiers and their dependents in the Legal Assistance Office. The following summer, he continued with the program, this time in Italy, where he was sent to Caserma Ederla, an Italian military base outside of Venice. There he worked with Italian legal authorities and assisted the commander of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade, a contingency response force in Europe. He also enjoyed having the chance to soak up the culture of Italy during his three-month stay. These experiences convinced him that the JAG Corps would be an excellent career path for him. So, when VanBuren was recently offered a  commission into the JAG Corps following the completion of law school, he was honored to accept.

“My career path wasn’t the one I had originally planned, but it seems it is working out. Syracuse Law has been a big part of making my dream of being a lawyer come true, while at the same time helping me find my way back to the U.S. Army.”

—Brett VanBuren L’25

“I’m excited to work not only as a lawyer but also as an army officer. It forces me to not only be competent in my legal tasks but also my warrior tasks,” he explains, noting that while he doesn’t yet know where he’ll be stationed, he hopes to work his way up to be a brigade judge advocate, someone who serves as a general counsel to a brigade commander. “It’s really rewarding work assisting a commander in getting the mission done.”

A group of professionally dressed individuals, including students and faculty, pose for a group photo on the steps of a historic stone building with intricate carvings and a wooden door. Some are wearing ID badges on orange lanyards. The engraved text 'WTO OMC' on the building suggests a visit to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
VanBuren poses with classmates and professors outside the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland during the International Tax Law short course in 2024.

While VanBuren plans to stay with the Army for a while, his long-term goal is to be a general counsel for a Fortune 500 company. However, for now, he is concentrating on his studies as a 3L and passing the New York State bar exam, while continuing to be involved with various activities at Syracuse Law.

“My career path wasn’t the one I had originally planned, but it seems it is working out. Syracuse Law has been a big part of making my dream of being a lawyer come true, while at the same time helping me find my way back to the U.S. Army,” he says. ”I’m grateful for everyone here who was part of my law school experience.”

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