Lawrence Bain Hagel (born March 27, 1947) was appointed to the

United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (in case citations, Vet. App.) is a federal court of record that was established under Article I of the United States Constitution, and is thus referred to as an Article I tribunal (court) ...

by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

in December 2003. He became Chief Judge in August 2015. He assumed senior status on October 8, 2016.

Early life and military career

Judge Hagel was born on March 27, 1947, in

Washington, Indiana Washington is a city in Daviess County, Indiana. The population was 11,509 at the time of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Daviess County. It is also the principal city of the Washington, Indiana Micropolitan Statistical Are ...

. He graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

with a Bachelor of Science in 1969. Upon graduation, Judge Hagel was commissioned as a

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. Judge Hagel served as an

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

Platoon Commander {{unreferenced, date=February 2013 A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or firs ...

in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. He also served as a

Military Advisor Military advisors, or combat advisors, advise on military matters. Some are soldiers sent to foreign countries to aid such countries with their military training, organization, and other various military tasks. The Foreign powers or organizations m ...

to a Vietnamese Infantry Battalion. Judge Hagel was awarded the

Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon (CAR, ), is a high precedence United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States Marine Corps military decoration awarded to United States sea service members "who have actively participated in ground or sur ...

, the

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: *Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Med ...

(three awards), the

Joint Service Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

, and the

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

Legal education and career

In 1976, Judge Hagel graduated from the University of the Pacific

McGeorge School of Law University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law is a private, American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law school in the Oak Park neighborhood of the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the University of the Pacific and is located on t ...

with a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

degree. In 1983, he earned a

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

degree in labor law, graduating with highest honors from The National Law Center at

George Washington University Law School The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest top law school in the national capital. GW Law offers the largest range of cou ...

. Prior to his appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Judge Hagel was General Counsel to the

Paralyzed Veterans of America The Paralyzed Veterans of America is a veterans' service organization in the United States of America, founded in 1946. The organization holds 33 chapters and 70 National Service Offices in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is based in Washin ...

. During his time with the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Judge Hagel was instrumental in advocating on behalf of military veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases. During the 14 years prior to his appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Judge Hagel was committed to promoting legal issues concerning veterans and veterans' benefits. In 1995, he served as a member of the

Administrative Conference of the United States The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) is an independent agency of the United States government that was established in 1964 by the Administrative Conference Act. The conference's purpose is to "promote improvements in the effi ...

. He served on the Steering Committee for the District of Columbia Bar Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section from 1999 to 2003 and on the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Rules Advisory Committee from 1992-2003. He served on the Executive Board of the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program from 1992-2003. Judge Hagel served as Chair of the Veterans Law Committee Section of the Federal Bar Association from 1994 to 1995.

Personal life

Hagel is the father of comedy writer

Jenny Hagel Jenny Hagel is an American comedian and comedy writer. She is currently a writer and performer for ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'', where she is known for performing on the recurring segment "Jokes Seth Can't Tell", along with host Seth Meyers an ...

References

External links

Judge Hagel

US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims - Home Page

* ttp://www.pva.org/ Home
Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hagel, Lawrence Bain 1947 births Living people Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims United States Article I federal judges appointed by George W. Bush 21st-century American judges