Face of Defense: Serving Excellence

By DOD NewsFebruary 3, 2022

WASHINGTON — Benjamin Spencer is best known for being a "first": He is the first Black dean of the nation's first law school.

But there are at least a couple of other numbers that stand out when considering his life and achievements so far.

Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School, poses for a portrait in one of the school’s courtrooms building in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve captain and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School, poses for a portrait in one of the school’s courtrooms building in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve captain and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL
Capt. Benjamin Spencer, a U.S. Army Reserve lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division, reviews a courts-martial manual in his home office in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the dean of the William & Mary Law School and the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Benjamin Spencer, a U.S. Army Reserve lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division, reviews a courts-martial manual in his home office in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the dean of the William & Mary Law School and the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL

There's nine, the number of children he and his wife, Marlette, share. And then there's 40, his age when, as a tenured professor at a top-tier law school, he joined the Army Reserve, later going through rigors of basic training with men and women close to half his age.

"He held off for years from joining," Marlette said later. "But the dream. I knew the dream was in him."

Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, and his wife, Marlette, pose for a family portrait with their nine children in front of their home in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 3, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, and his wife, Marlette, pose for a family portrait with their nine children in front of their home in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 3, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL

The dream of serving his country is still a reality in the life of now-Capt. Benjamin Spencer, as he balances his work as a Judge Advocate General's Corps officer with his day job at William & Mary Law School and family duties.

Family of Firsts

As the son, grandson and great-grandson of soldiers, Spencer grew up with an appreciation for service.

He also came from a tradition of trailblazing: Spencer's grandfather was the first African American professor at the University of Notre Dame.

His father was the first African American chief judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, and the first African American federal judge in Virginia before that.

Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School, works in his office at the school in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2020. The building and campus have been mostly empty since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve captain and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School, works in his office at the school in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2020. The building and campus have been mostly empty since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve captain and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL

From him, Spencer inherited a love of the law.

"He had this righteousness about the public's interest and justice … That's how he was as a judge [later]. People knew he was going to be fair," Spencer said. "I had that instilled in me that there are rules and we have laws. We have a society that depends on people following those laws."

Spencer attended Harvard Law School, where he served as articles editor of the Harvard Law Review and won multiple awards for legal writing, among other honors.

Rising Star

The accolades continued as he embarked on his legal career, in private practice and then academia.

He worked as an associate at Shearman & Sterling law firm in Washington, D.C.; taught at the University of Richmond School of Law; served as a director of the Francis Lewis Law Center and the associate dean for research at Washington and Lee University; and served on the faculty at the University of Virginia School of Law.

In 2007, he received the Virginia State Council of Higher Education "Rising Star" award, given to the most promising junior faculty member among all academic fields at all colleges and universities in the state — the first law professor recipient.

He authored two books on civil procedure used by professors and students across the country.

By the time he got to William & Mary, he'd garnered a national reputation as an expert in civil procedure and federal courts.

"His resume is ridiculous. Ridiculous!" Marlette told an interviewer in 2020.

'That's How I Got the Bug'

All the while, his family's emphasis on public service stayed with him.

"Everybody that raised me or influenced me, they were serving others," Spencer said. "I couldn’t look at myself if I wasn’t trying to do something to help other people, or use my talent for that purpose."

Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School, talks to faculty at the school in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2020. Spencer said it’s rare to see students and faculty in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and he longs to see the hallways and classrooms full of people some day in the future. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve captain and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School, talks to faculty at the school in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2020. Spencer said it’s rare to see students and faculty in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and he longs to see the hallways and classrooms full of people some day in the future. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve captain and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL
Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School, talks to Raven Peter, a second-year law student while she’s preparing for an exam at the school in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2020. Spencer said it’s rare to see students and faculty in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and he longs to see the hallways and classrooms full of people someday in the future. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve captain and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School, talks to Raven Peter, a second-year law student while she’s preparing for an exam at the school in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2020. Spencer said it’s rare to see students and faculty in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and he longs to see the hallways and classrooms full of people someday in the future. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve captain and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL

He mentored students and younger colleagues at the universities where he taught. He did pro bono appellate work for the federal government.

While working as a professor at U.Va., where the school for Army lawyers is located, Spencer would watch JAG officers running or in formation each morning.

"That’s how I got the bug," he said.

Spencer took his oath to join the Army Reserve in late 2015. He spent more than a year training physically before shipping off to basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, losing 27 pounds in the process.

Capt. Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and U.S. Army Reserve officer, works out at a local fitness center in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American Dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and U.S. Army Reserve officer, works out at a local fitness center in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American Dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL
Capt. Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and U.S. Army Reserve officer, runs around his neighborhood in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and U.S. Army Reserve officer, runs around his neighborhood in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL

As a JAG officer today, he is assigned to the Government Appellate Division, where he briefs and argues appeals on behalf of the Army.

'Lifting as We Climb'

Whether discussing his Army service or the history he's made at the nation's first law school, Spencer isn't one for self-congratulation.

"I'm not really into stories about myself," he told an interviewer in 2020.

Rather, to him, it's an opportunity to be an example for other Black men and women who are watching, and to fight to open doors for others.

Capt. Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and U.S. Army Reserve officer, and his wife, Marlette, share a moment with their youngest daughter of nine children at home in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
Capt. Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and U.S. Army Reserve officer, and his wife, Marlette, share a moment with their youngest daughter of nine children at home in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL

"That's just part of our ethos as Black folks," Spencer said. "We have a thing [for] lifting as we climb. As we go to the next level, we have to kind of reach back and pull somebody up behind."

First Priority

Chief among those he's setting an example for are his children.

"He puts his family first,” Marlette told an interviewer in 2020.

"He works, puts his heart and soul into his job and comes home, walks through the door, doesn't change his clothes … washes his hands and goes into the kitchen to start cooking."

Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, cooks dinner for his family of nine children at home in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 3, 2020. Spencer does most of the cooking in the evening for his family even after a long day of work. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, cooks dinner for his family of nine children at home in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 3, 2020. Spencer does most of the cooking in the evening for his family even after a long day of work. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL
Benjamin Spencer, right, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, walks to his van with his family in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer and his wife, Marlette, have nine children. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Benjamin Spencer, right, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, walks to his van with his family in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer and his wife, Marlette, have nine children. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL
Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, jokes around with his youngest daughter while four of his nine children sit on a bench together eating frozen yogurt in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, jokes around with his youngest daughter while four of his nine children sit on a bench together eating frozen yogurt in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2020. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL
Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, watches his youngest son attend virtual kindergarten from their home in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 3, 2020. Spencer and his wife, Marlette, have nine children, which caused major challenges as the way of doing things — including school — changed in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret)
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Benjamin Spencer, dean of the William & Mary Law School and a U.S. Army Reserve captain, watches his youngest son attend virtual kindergarten from their home in Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 3, 2020. Spencer and his wife, Marlette, have nine children, which caused major challenges as the way of doing things — including school — changed in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Spencer is the first African-American dean hired by the oldest law school in the country and a U.S. Army Reserve officer and lawyer who works for the Government Appellate Division. Spencer graduated from Harvard Law School and joined the Army when he was almost 41 because he felt a calling to serve people and serve his nation. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michel Sauret) VIEW ORIGINAL

"My kids can look at my husband and see that they don't have any boundaries," she said. "They don't have any glass ceilings above them."

Striving for Excellence | U.S. Army

(Adapted from an article by Army Reserve Master Sgt. Michel Sauret published July 31, 2020. Video by Spc. Maria Elena Casneiro, Calvin Reimold and Master Sgt. Michel Sauret.)

Visit the Black Americans in the U.S. Army site to learn more about the contributions of Black Americans to the U.S. Army.