During his final deployment in Afghanistan, Will Clancy LAW ’25 worked on legal issues with State Department attorneys, U.S. law enforcement and local Afghan police. He was “highly impressed” by the attorneys’ mentorship of local Afghan prosecutors and judges, along with their adept handling of a complex array of legal challenges.

Clancy said that, after his return from Afghanistan, it was clear that he wanted to pursue a legal career. 

Initially, he felt nervous during the law school application process, but he distinctly remembers deciding to apply to Yale Law School upon learning about the opportunities available. 

“Like many aspiring law students, I was overwhelmed by the process of applying to law school,” Clancy told the News. “However, after attending a webinar hosted by the Yale Law School Admissions Office and Service 2 School, and learning more about Yale’s approach to learning … I decided it was worth a shot.” 

Clancy is part of the growing contingent of veterans at the Law School, a number that has more than tripled in the last six years. 

According to statistics provided by the Law School’s public affairs office, only 1 percent of the incoming Law School class were veterans in 2016. However, as of 2023, approximately 40 veterans are now enrolled at the Law School, with 14 veterans in the class of 2026 — the most recent class to join the Law School community — accounting for 7 percent of that class.

“Over the last six years, it has been a top priority to bring more veterans to Yale Law School,” Heather Gerken, dean of the Law School, wrote to the News. “They are as inspiring a group of students as you will ever meet, and their experiences, leadership skills, and deep dedication to service have made Yale a better place.”

According to Law.com, military veterans remain an underrepresented group in the legal industry.  They account for 2.8 percent of all attorneys and make up only 1.8 percent of attorneys in the nation’s largest law firms, often collectively referred to as ‘Big Law.’

To assist veterans in financing their law school educations, the Law School has not only enhanced its recruitment efforts but also increased its participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program. This program helps cover tuition expenses that are not included under the post-9/11 GI Bill, which provides school funding for those who’ve served in the military after Sept. 11, 2001.

One student, Ana Mier Valdivia LAW ’26, who currently serves on active duty, told the News she “really appreciated” the efforts the Law School has made to make veterans feel welcomed into the Yale community.

“Yale Law School is a very welcoming environment where they really value our experiences and recognize the contributions that people who have served in the military can make in the classroom,” Mier Valdivia told the News.  

Mier Valdivia told the News that she has always been interested in law. However, it was during her service as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy that she pinpointed the specific type of law she wanted to pursue. 

Watching the Judge Advocate Generals — the Navy’s lawyers — provide sailors with guidance and insight into tactical decisions helped her envision how she could bridge her career in law with the military, adding that she hopes to become a Navy Judge Advocate after completing law school.

“When I was looking at law schools, I saw [Yale Law School] as the ideal place to get the tools, the education and the network to maximize my legal education,” Mier Valdivia said.

She added that her military experience has proven invaluable throughout her time in law school, as skills such as interacting with people and collaborating within teams continue to play a crucial role.

Clancy also told the News that his military experience has been “a plus” to his experience at law school.

“Planning, critical thinking and resource management are important skills in the Army, and they apply with equal force here,” he said.

However, Clancy also mentioned that he frequently finds himself needing to shift away from his “old military mindset” and instead place himself in the shoes of the parties involved in the cases he examines in class. 

Another veteran, Zoe Kreitenberg LAW ’24, told the News that attending the Law School is helping her move toward the next phase in her life: a career in community service.

“Service has always been a core component of my life,” Kreitenberg told the News. “Service both in the uniform and through the law plays important roles in the security of our democracy. In this time of global instability and rising domestic barriers to fairness and justice, I hope that my classmates and I can use our legal education to make the world a safer, better place.”

Kreitenberg, the former co-president of the Yale Law School Veterans Association, noted that the Law School provided numerous opportunities for veterans to connect and build a sense of community. In her time at the Law School, Kreitenberg also worked with the Veterans Legal Services Clinic to advocate for the rights of fellow veterans.

In 2018, this clinic won a historic ruling in a case that led to veterans being able to bring class actions against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the first time. Since then, the clinic has brought several separate class actions against the Army, the Navy/Marines and the Air Force on behalf of veterans denied their benefits.

Overall, all the students interviewed by the News agreed their veteran experience added valuable skills to their experience at Yale Law School and expressed hope that more veterans would consider a path in law.

Clancy also offered some words of advice for future veterans who may be considering applying to law school.

“Be ready to be ‘the new guy’ again,” Clancy said. “Law school will call on many of the same skills you’ve gained in the military, but they will apply in different ways, so go easy on yourself if things don’t come easy to you at first.  It’s a whole new way of thinking, and it will take some time to find your groove.”

Veterans Day is a federal holiday observed every year on Nov. 11.