Capt. Andrew J. Lorelli (13JD)

With his Iowa Law degree in hand, Andrew J. Lorelli had launched a successful career as a probate attorney

near Detroit. But he had a big dream: He wanted to become a United States Marine. 

Joining the Marines was a daunting goal for Lorelli, who was several years out of law school and physically out of shape. But his grit, determination, and Hawkeye smarts got him through.

In November 2019, Lorelli graduated from Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Virginia, a grueling 10-week induction into the Marines, and earned a commission as a second lieutenant. Next up was the Basic School, a six-month infantry training program for all new officers, followed by Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island, a 10-week military law program. By February 2021, he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

Lorelli’s initial assignment was to the Legal Assistance Office, helping service members and families with a wide range of personal legal matters. A few months later, he was named company commander of a headquarters and support unit with over 600 Marines. Then, he deployed as deputy staff judge advocate with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, helping to advise the command aboard “a giant floating city” patrolling the Pacific. After returning to Okinawa, he joined the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing as an operational law judge advocate, advising the command for Marine pilots and aviation support units throughout Japan and Hawaii. In December 2013, Lorelli left active duty and returned to Michigan to resume his civilian probate practice while continuing to serve in the reserves.

Academically, now Capt. Lorelli advises students with military aspirations to learn to be generalists and prepare for different types of jobs. His most practical advice? “It’s never too late to challenge yourself. Don’t be afraid to fail.”

Col. Erica Harris (07JD)

When Col. Erica Harris was growing up, she dreamed of going to the University of Iowa and becoming a lawyer. The Fort Madison, Iowa, native had no idea that the United States Air Force would empower her to fulfill both of those goals. 

Harris missed her first chance to be a Hawkeye, choosing the U.S. Air Force Academy for her undergraduate studies. “The draw was they’ve got planes, which is cool,” she said. She earned her BS degree in mechanical engineering in 2001 from the USAFA, enabling her to join the Air Force as a civil engineering officer at the rank of second lieutenant.

She loved her work as an engineer. But she still wanted to go into law, and the Air Force paved her way. The JAG Corps of the Air Force offers a program that sends commissioned officers to law school. Harris would need to cover her tuition, but she would stay on active duty. She jumped at the chance. She could apply to any law school, and naturally Iowa Law was her first choice.

Harris graduated from Iowa Law in 2007 and has since been stationed around the U.S. and the world, her military rank and job title advancing with each step. Now she is at Air Force headquarters, directing the office that codifies the Air Force’s civil law and ethics policies and administers Air Force-wide civil justice programs. She works with members of Congress, presidential cabinet members, and top military officials, helping key stakeholders understand the legal and ethical implications of policy choices.

“I have had a great career with so many amazing experiences,” said Harris, whose spouse is also a JAG. “Iowa and the Air Force prepared me well.”

Lt. Col. Tyler Musselman (06BS, 10JD)

When Lt. Col. Tyler Musselman began his studies at Iowa Law, he was not planning to become a military trial judge. He just knew he wanted to practice law.

Now, 13 years into a fulfilling legal career in the Air Force JAG Corps, he has found that military law offers a professional experience like none other—and unlike in many law firms, new hires begin doing important work the minute they start their jobs.

Musselman outlined the most common process for joining the Air Force JAG Corps. “You apply in your third year of law school,” he said. “If you get selected, they will medically qualify you. If you pass the bar exam, they will commission you before you even start training. You go to a nine-week Officer Training School and do nine weeks at the JAG School.”

“Once you are done with that, and you step on your installation, you are a qualified judge advocate,” Musselman said. “Thirty days after training, I tried my first court martial as a prosecutor.”

Musselman has served in prosecution and defense roles at the trial and appellate levels. He has been the chief national Air Force JAG recruiter and advised in a general counsel role. Now he is a military trial judge, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. And he has served in two military deployments abroad.

Musselman and his spouse and two young sons love the military lifestyle. “I have seen places and done things that only people in the military have seen and done,” he said. “On top of that, it provides a good quality of life.”