Logan Leslie ’19

Hometown: Haddam, Connecticut

Branch/MOS: U.S Army. Armor (19D) 2004-2008; Special Forces (18B) 2008-2017; Special Forces (18Z) 2017-present

Duty stations/deployments: Fort Campbell (101st Airborne) 2004-2007, Fort Bragg (JFKSWCS) 2007-2008, Fort Campbell (5th SFG) 2008-2012, Middletown, Rhode Island (19th SFG) 2012-2017, Pentagon (Army Staff) 2017-2018, Columbus, Georgia (54th SFAB) DEC 2018-pres, Iraq (2006), Qatar (2009), Iraq (2009), Afghanistan (2011), Afghanistan (2012, USACE Contractor)

Rank upon separation: Sergeant First Class (E-7) at separation from active duty, and First Sergeant (E-8) now (reservist)

What were you concerned about after being accepted? How has being a HLS student addressed those concerns?

Don’t let any concerns hold you back—HLS is a great adventure and with all adventures there are challenges. If you’re married, you’re going to have to balance your desire to explore all the wonderful opportunities that are now in front of you with the time you owe your spouse. If you have kids, same deal, with the added hurdle of making it all work financially. And if you want to stay in the Reserves or National Guard, you will have to make tough choices when it comes to prioritizing your time. If you have the fortune of transitioning from your service while attending an amazing school—any amazing school, you’ll be just fine. HLS is a great place to land.

How has your military experience helped you at HLS?

It helps to know who you are before coming to HLS. Like any law school, there is a torrent of passion and energy here–ambitious young people struggling to climb somewhere and make an impact everywhere. Having been in the service and formed a pretty solid understanding of who I am and what’s important to me, I’m able to simply be me, take all the great things that HLS has to offer, and leave the rest. Never underestimate how your service and individual sacrifice has shaped you, and will help you to never compromise on your values.

What motivated you to apply?

I wanted a legal education so I could better understand our beautiful country and all of its contradictions. If you want to get your mind around the nuances of policy—whether it’s criminal justice, our constitutional rights, or how America fits into the global community, an understanding of our legal system is a wonderful place to start. Combine that with very real operational experience in the military, and it’s a great combination for an effective leader.