A Mature Voice: Marine Corps Veteran Charles Burnside ’27 Turns to Study of the Law
Veteran. Musician. Husband. Charles Burnside wears a lot of important hats. And he has added one more to his busy schedule.
He is now a law student.
Burnside, 28, enlisted in the Marine Corps at 18 years old and served until he was 22. He then used his GI Bill to get his bachelor's degree in music performance at the University of Colorado, Boulder. As an undergraduate, he met his wife, Yuna Langehennig, in music school and married her less than a month after their graduation.
“I next taught clarinet to kids in a small, personal studio while my wife was getting her master’s degree in music performance,” Burnside says. “Now, she is working a job she loves playing flute professionally for the U.S. Air Force Heritage of American Band at Langley Air Force Base and it is my turn to further my career at William & Mary Law.”
A native of Colorado, Burnside is the first in his family to go to law school. He admits he had no idea what he was getting into when considering a career as a lawyer, but he was always interested in the art of negotiation and legal analysis. When he joined the Marines, however, he was able to see a unit go through an intense legal battle that ended with the court martialing of the Officer in Charge.
“That experience was the most tangible experience I have ever had with the law, and I knew it was the right choice for me,” Burnside says. “I really admired the effort that legal professionals make to find justice for their clients and provide the necessary aid of legal counsel to so many people who need it.”
Looking at law schools, Burnside felt that William & Mary was the perfect fit—the only school that would allow him to be close to his wife, get the best education possible, and also provide the network to find employment wherever he wants to settle down.
With a background somewhat different than an average law student, Burnside hopes to contribute to the Law School’s diverse mix of people from all backgrounds.
“I hope to bring an older perspective—the voice of someone that employed themself for a year, worked a job after high school, traveled the world, and works for more than just myself, but my family,” Burnside says. “I hope to bring a mature voice that is able to apply real-world experiences to the theories learned and discussed in class. One day all of us will be lawyers representing the masses, so it will be valuable to understand how different this experience makes us and how valuable we can be in helping those that need it.”
Burnside has thought deeply about William & Mary’s concept of the Citizen Lawyer. First and foremost, he considers law students as citizens—of the world, nations, states, and cities.
“As lawyers, we will have the tools to be a leader among our peers, someone that our neighbors can look up to for guidance and support,” he says. “To be a Citizen Lawyer is to be a helper for the people that we aim to represent.”
As an American, too, Burnside is really moved by the idea of representing someone who hopes he can make their life meaningfully better. And he needs to be the best lawyer possible to do that.
“We are going to have so many moments where people look to us to solve some of the biggest challenges their lives will offer, and it will be up to us to make it better for them,” he says. “I am really encouraged and excited talking to my colleagues, because I think we are up to the task.”
Burnside is enjoying getting to know everyone at the Law School and believes he is already establishing the kinds of relationships that will last a lifetime.
“It is truly incredible the kind of people that come here,” he says. “Everyone is so smart, kind, strong, and confident—the kind of people who can be heroes.”
Burnside admits to still wrapping his head around the many extracurricular options open to him, but is considering the Transactional Law Team, Federalist Society, and Military and Veterans Law Society. His diverse set of hobbies, from sports to Dungeons & Dragons to music, keeps him both entertained and grounded. He also looks forward to seeing his wife playing in such high-profile gigs as a Tampa Bay NFL game in November and the presidential inauguration in January.
His hope is to one day enjoy the fruits of both his undergraduate and graduate degrees by working the legal job of his dreams and playing in a local community orchestra.
In the meantime, Burnside already has a sense that “the doors that are opened by this school are unlike any other,” and that “the pedigree of alumni and faculty that have come from this school are amazing.”
“It became especially apparent in my school search that if I wanted the most opportunity after law school there was only one option that made sense,” he adds. “I am very grateful to attend William & Mary.”