Her black robe drapes against her frame as she leans forward in her seat with a look of confusion on her face. While resting her chin on her hand, which is curved into a small ball, she looks down at the defendant and says:
"Counsel, I don't even know where to start with that analysis."
About 25 years ago, she had been a hard working law student shuffling through the hallways to her classes, now Lit. Col. Paulette Burton of the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals comes back to her alma mater as an associate judge.
"When I came in everything still looked the same," said Burton. "I had to catch my breath because it felt like I never left."
As part of an outreach program for the Army Judge Advocate General Corps, Burton, along with chief judge Brig. Gen. Stuart W. Risch and senior judge Col. Kenneth Tozzi, visited the University of
South Carolina's Law School Jan. 24 - 25.
During their visit to the school, the judges talked with students during a luncheon, taught a trial advocacy class and listen to oral arguments for a real case.
"Having them here is giving us a diverse view of law then what we see day to day in law school," said Anthony D'elia who served five years in the military and is a member of the Servicemembers and Veterans in Law organization at USC.
The judges visit four law schools per year. They decided to come to USC because of Burton's connection to the school.
The oral arguments took place in the Strom Thurmond auditorium. Students were able to witness real Army lawyers go before the judges to make their cases.
"My heart dropped with I walked into the auditorium," said Burton. "The last time I was in here I was taking the bar exam. It made me nervous all over again."
Risch said their visit to law schools around the country isn't to serve as a means to recruit for the corps, but to let people, who otherwise wouldn't know anything about it, become familiar with
what they do.
"When people see uniforms, they start asking questions," said Capt. Amanda Williams, a commissioner for the JAG Corps.
USC law student Sgt. Edward Brasher, a National Guardsman from Mullens, South Carolina, says although he really enjoys law, he likes the idea of being able to be both an infantryman and a future
lawyer.
"I'm an infantryman and I really like it," said Brasher. "I'm not sure if I'll join JAG when I finish law school because I wouldn't be able to do both."
JAG was established in 1775. It is the oldest law firm in the nation.
"I always have to tell people when they're interested in JAG that you're always going to be a Soldier no matter what," he said. "You're not a lawyer then a Soldier; the Soldier part is always first. You're Soldiers that also happen to be lawyers."
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