Brooker Named Third Recipient of Military and Veterans Law Section Award
John W. Brooker, director of the Military and Veterans Law Clinic at the University of North Carolina School of Law, is the third recipient of the Kirk Warner Award for Distinguished Service to the Military and Veterans Law Section.
The award was presented recently at the law school by Patrick Daniel Wilson who currently serves as chair of the NCBA Military and Veterans Law Section. Kirk Warner, for whom the award was named and to whom it was first presented, also attended the ceremony. Warner received the award in 2018 and Matthew Wilcut of Greensboro became the second recipient in 2020.
Patrick Daniel Wilson, left, presents award to John Brooker.
A native of Durham, Brooker returned to UNC School of Law in 2018 following a distinguished military career (see biography below), for which he received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
His work at the law school was highlighted in the previous issue of North Carolina Lawyer in an article regarding a veteran who had been denied fair treatment following his service in Vietnam more than 50 years ago (see article here).
On that special day, on which John Spencer received a Purple Heart and additional honors that were long overdue, as with the section award, Brooker is quick to direct credit toward the law school and its students.
“I’m not trying to be humble here – it’s just the truth – I don’t do a whole lot,” Brooker said. “The power of this organization is the student, and the results we get that are often attributed to me that should not be attributed to me. It should be attributed to them. They are the ones who are doing the work.
“The award is a representation of the work that the students at UNC Law are doing. It is in my name, but it really is a part of everyone who is a part of the clinic and programs here at UNC. Without the structure of the organization and the power of the University, I wouldn’t have the platform to enable me to do what I am able to do.”
John Brooker, right, visits with Kirk Warner, for whom the award is named.
Nor would it be possible without the passion Brooker brings to the table as both a veteran and a graduate of the law school.
“This is my law school, so I feel strongly not only about making it a better place,” Brooker said. “I feel the law school should reflect and represent the entire state of North Carolina. Given that 10 percent of the state has worn the uniform or is currently wearing the uniform, or is currently working directly serving someone who is wearing the uniform, if you take that out to its logical conclusion, because those folks have families and close friends, it touches half or more of the state directly.
“So if we can do a small, little part, to not only help the veterans we serve but to teach students the value of representing those who have served the country, I think that is incredibly valuable.”
In a similar vein, Brooker believes the work of the NCBA Military and Veterans Law Section is also important.
“It is incredibly important to have that section, given that any projection of military power in the United States will be largely based out of the state of North Carolina,” Brooker said. “And given that, I would estimate roughly up to half of the state is directly impacted by the military – whether they are serving, whether they are a veteran, or whether they are a close friend or a family member of a veteran.
“It is incredibly important that the North Carolina Bar Association has a section that serves the needs and interests of that group because it is such an integral and fundamental part of our state. I can’t imagine the bar association meeting its mission without that section.”
The Kirk Warner Award for Distinguished Service to the Military and Veterans was established by the Military and Veterans Law Section to recognize a section member who has provided not only outstanding service to military members and/or veterans but who also promotes the same in others by their devotion to selfless assistance to those who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Biography (Source: UNC School of Law)
John W. Brooker joined the Carolina Law faculty in 2018 following over 20 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Army. He directs the Military and Veterans Law Clinic and teaches a variety of courses in the national security law field. His teaching and research interests include military criminal law, veterans law, national security law, and public international law. He is a renowned expert on the issues surrounding military discharge characterization. In addition to teaching and lecturing on this topic throughout the world, Brooker was the lead author of Beyond T.B.D., a book-length article that serves as the definitive treatise on the impact of military discharge characterization on veterans benefits eligibility. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
A native of Durham, North Carolina, Brooker attended Carolina Law pursuant to the U.S. Army Funded Legal Education Program. Following law school, he held in a variety of positions in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Most recently, he served for two years as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for U.S. Army Africa / Southern European Task Force in Vicenza, Italy. Previously, Brooker served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for III Corps and Combined Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), where he was a key leader on the deployed team that provided legal advice for military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). His previous academic appointment was as an Associate Professor at The Judge Advocate General’s School, U.S. Army, in Charlottesville, Virginia. In that role, he created the school’s Wounded Warrior and Veterans Law portfolio.
Education
M.M.A.S., U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (2014)
LL.M., The Judge Advocate General’s School, U.S. Army (2010)
J.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2003)
B.A., Politics, History, Wake Forest University (1998)
Photos courtesy of UNC School of Law.
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.