I remember hearing as a cadet that West Point ranks second only to Harvard Business School in producing Fortune 500 CEOs. The Association of Graduates is an excellent resource for furthering business contacts and they have recently created an office at the AOG to help junior officers network and find positions in these Fortune 500 companies. However, not as well publicized as the success of West Pointers in the military and the business community is the success of West Pointers as attorneys.

Judging from the register of graduates and from what I heard while at West Point, a substantial percentage (over 10%) of each West Point class will eventually earn a law degree. There are a substantial number of West Point judges and appellate justices, both state and federal. There are also many successful partners of large law firms who are West Point graduates. Add the number of U.S attorneys, district attorneys, state attorneys general, solicitors general, legislators, etc. and we realize there is a large population of West Pointers active in the law. West Point’s superintendent, Lieutenant General Christman, is a lawyer. The Secretary of the Army, Louis Caldera ’78, is a lawyer. Former first captain, Norm Peterson ’66, is the founder of his own very successful firm in Kansas City. Another first captain, LTC Ken Miller ’77, earned a FLEP scholarship and taught National Security Law at West Point while we were cadets.

Despite West Point’s heavy presence in the law, I have not seen (or perhaps I am not aware) of any organization among these lawyers. Although I plan to leave the U.S. Army in the coming year, I still believe strongly in promoting the interests of West Pointers and helping one another achieve success. As cadets we often said, "cooperate and graduate." As future lawyers, perhaps we can further this notion of cooperation in our law careers.

More specifically, I am interested in (and would be willing to organize) creating a loose-knit "bar association" among the members of the class of 1995. I do not foresee any organization meetings, dues, by-laws, organization officers, etc. It would primarily entail maintaining a mailing list, or an e-mail list, and maybe creating a separate web-page. As we start in law school, the organization would be designed to keep one-another in contact, see who is in school and where, update one-another on summer clerking positions, etc. I think such an association may even help in finding employment during and after law school.

Eventually, if we could maintain such an association, I envision that the continued fraternity among the class of 1995 attorneys will, in the years to come, provide a conduit for helping one-another in establishing partnerships, referring clients, nominating for judge positions, etc.