Q&A with J. Cunyon Gordon - Honoring Veterans Day
We had the honor of sitting down with our very own J. Cunyon Gordon, Director of the Settlement Assistance Program, and spoke with her about her experience serving as a military lawyer in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). Thank you for your service, Cunyon!
Tell me about your time serving as a military lawyer in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). How long did you serve in this role?
“I served from 1981-1988 as a Navy Judge Advocate because the Navy paid for me to go to law school and the “pay back” was two years of service for every year of law school. I served it down to the day and left. That was my primary motivation to join.
All the services have a Judge Advocate General who are the head of all their lawyers. The Marine Corps has the Navy JAG – they don’t have their own. We do lawyer stuff. Every service member is entitled to free representation in a criminal matter. Just like a civilian gets a public defender, service members get a JAG for free no matter where they are in the world if they are charged with a crime.”
What were your primary responsibilities?
“I represented sailors and marines and enlisted officers at trial for 3 years. Then I went to the appellate division in Washington D.C. for 3 years. My 3 years as a trial JAG were in San Diego and I represented people in two different recruit bases.
Sexism and racism are very much present in the military. A lot of the offenses are against women. Women who are in the military, women who are civilians, and women who are civilians in foreign countries. There is a lot of violence against women – a lot of domestic violence as well. I also saw a lot of prosecution of people for participating in LGBTQ activity. These service members were administratively discharged for being LGBTQ. I prosecuted for 6 months and for 6.5 years I was a defense counsel.”
Could you share a memorable experience or case from your time in the JAG Corps that had a significant impact on you?
"When I was an appellate lawyer, the case that turned out to be the basis for A Few Good Men the movie based at the Naval base in Guantanamo Bay. Enlisted people attacked a man and threw a blanket over his head and beat him. The man had asthma and died from the attack. Many of them were charged with involuntary manslaughter. They only had two lawyers at Guantanamo. They had to go to other places to get attorneys to defend these guys. Appellate Defense was tasked to advise lawyers on those cases. My colleague, who was the screenwriter’s sister, talked to him about the case and he turned it into a play, then the movie.”
What are some unique challenges and rewards of serving as a military attorney in the Navy?
“The challenge was certainly the racism and sexism I experienced. The services are old, the Navy was very elitist. It was for elite, white men of privilege. Proud white men who didn’t have much room for proud black women. That was always a challenge. I developed a reputation as a good defense attorney and good appellate attorney. Some of my real champions turned out to be white male officers. You look for the ones who will do right by you and support you.”
How did this experience impact your career?
“I left the Navy and joined Jenner & Block, a major law firm. In my first year there, I did three criminal trials. I represented two people who were accused of murder. My experience as a military lawyer prepared me for the practice of law. It didn’t prepare me for anything related to civil law. I didn’t take depositions. I was learning civil cases at Jenner. I could do a criminal trial from start to finish. I had to learn all of the stuff about civil practice. I was a summer clerk at Jenner & Block during law school. This allowed me to gain a relationship with a civilian law firm while serving. “
What advice would you give to individuals considering a career in the JAG Corps or those who are interested in military law?
“It was a great deal and a wonderful program, and I would have recommended it to anybody. But the services don’t need to do this program anymore because they have enough volunteers for both medical corps and JAG. I think it’s a great place to get experience even though a lot of the experience is learning by doing. Not as many formal training opportunities as you would get in a civilian law firm. But it was a good place to get experience and learn and develop as a lawyer. It’s also a small enough community where you learn about the value of your reputation. That’s something that people who are civilians could remember and learn from. It’s surprising how many people know one another. Your reputation means everything, even in Chicago. That was a good lesson for me.”
Can you share any reflections on the significance of Veteran's Day and its importance in recognizing the contributions of military personnel?
“Not enough people serve in the military. Middle class and upper middle class don’t serve because they don’t have to. You only get people who feel like they don’t have any other options. You get people who get their first chance to get out of a city or out of a small town in a rural area. Working class and working poor. You have the burden of the defense of democracy on the people who get the least benefit of our constitutional protections. The people who really benefit from it are lying at home safe in bed. I wish more people who are coming out of college would go.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to those who serve and those who serve in war time. They do in fact put their lives on the line. I served on a ship and that was a military war ship. I was serving with people who were willing to do that.
6 out of my 7 siblings served in the military. We always bombard each other with Veterans Day GIF’s! It’s something we are proud of. I am proud of having served and I’m glad I served. I’m proud of the people I served with.”