A theater buff in college, Capt. Racquel Hubbs Hawley, ’13, assistant staff judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force, has always appreciated great storytelling, whether in the form of a classic play or an episode of Law & Order. But when deciding her future, she opted for law school instead of a career in creative writing and as a 2L who joined the Trial Team found a new forum for her skills: the courtroom.

“There’s kind of a theatrical aspect to it,” she said. “I particularly like opening statements, standing up there telling the story of what the victim was going through in the moment, to try to set that scene in the jury members’ minds, so that the evidence is viewed through that lens.”

The thrill she got from organizing and presenting cases confirmed that she chose the right career path, and the camaraderie she felt among teammates and faculty helped to make Trial Team one of the most memorable parts of her law school experience.

A chance encounter with a military recruiter at a career fair and the prospect of trying cases right away lured Hawley into government service and to the U.S. Navy. “You’re given a lot of responsibility and autonomy, which I didn’t think I would get if I went to a law firm,” she said.

For her first assignment, Hawley worked at Malmstrom U.S. Air Force Base in Montana, home of the 341st Missile Wing, which maintains and operates 150 Minutemen III intercontinental ballistic missiles, ready to be launched at the direction of the president on a “really serious day.”

One of four judge advocates on base, Hawley served as chief of legal assistance, providing legal advice and assistance to airmen and eligible dependents, retirees and reservists; chief of civil law, advising commanders on civil law issues; and, finally, chief of adverse actions, giving legal advice and guidance to commanders regarding any kind of punishment or administrative demotion or separation.

Within a month of arriving on base, she began to get the litigation experience she sought, and in her first year she was named assistant trial counsel, prosecuting a high-profile multi-victim sexual assault case.

Even Hawley was surprised at how quickly responsibility came. “That was probably the hardest part, the pressure that comes from having a real victim sitting behind you in the courtroom,” she said, reflecting on her transition to JAG Corps.

When it was time to deliver the opening statement to the courtroom during the general court martial, however, she wasn’t nervous.

Preparation for the court martial was similar to what she experienced in law school. The dedication to her craft that led to a national championship in the Judge Paul Kelly Jr. Invitational Trial Competition with Josef Mensa, ’13, was evident as she described “drilling” with the senior trial counsel and a forensic psychologist until her statement was perfectly distilled.

“We got it down to the point where they were like, ‘Well, when you deliver this really gritty line, you should make eye contact with this juror, because knowing their background and where they come from, that’s probably going to affect them most profoundly,’” she said.

Hawley’s opening statement and expert witness direction and cross-examination helped the prosecution get a conviction and 35-year sentence for the staff sergeant who was found guilty of rape, sexual assault and abusive sexual contact.

Although Hawley has her eyes set on becoming senior trial counsel, she recently started a new assignment at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, where she’s ventured to the other side of the aisle, serving as area defense counsel.