Harvard Law Student Balances Classroom with Global Security: Navy Lawyer Deploys to Jordan After Studies
CAMBRIDGE,MA – A 17-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, Theresa Champ, is preparing to return to active duty in the Middle East following a year of intensive study at Harvard law School. Champ, currently completing her graduate degree, embodies a unique intersection of legal scholarship and real-world national security, having recently supported critical operations related to the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.
Champ’s journey to Harvard is, as she describes it, “unexpected.” Growing up, she never envisioned attending the nation’s most elite law school. Now, she’s embracing the opportunity to refine her expertise in international and domestic law, skills she’ll promptly put to use when she deploys to Jordan in May to work with special forces.
Her path to Harvard was paved with diverse and demanding assignments. Prior to her studies, Champ served as chief of operational and international law, and as the primary Judge Advocate General (JAG) for the Navy’s Sixth Fleet – overseeing maritime forces across Europe, the Mediterranean, and parts of Africa. This role placed her at the forefront of complex geopolitical challenges.
Following a seven-month deployment managing placements for the navy’s 500 JAG Corps lieutenants as the COVID pandemic began, Champ was quickly thrust into supporting Ukraine during Russia’s full-scale invasion. “We didn’t want to become cobelligerents,” she explained, emphasizing the careful navigation required to operate within legal boundaries.
Later,after Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023,Champ served as the primary legal advisor to a 3-star admiral aboard the U.S.S. Mount Whitney, the Sixth Fleet’s flagship. The mission evolved rapidly, encompassing planning evacuations of American citizens, providing maritime security for humanitarian aid to Gaza, and assisting in the defense of Israel against Iranian threats. “We were very, very busy, but it was an incredible experience, and I learned so much,” she said. (A photo of Champ on the U.S.S. Mount Whitney with Striking Forces NATO was provided by Theresa Champ.)
At Harvard, Champ is especially enjoying Law in Global Affairs, taught by Professor David Kennedy ’80, which she says has broadened her viewpoint on the law’s impact on world events. “It has been very fascinating to hear different perspectives on some of the issues that I deal with in my career,” she noted. She also expressed admiration for the diverse student body and faculty.
Champ views her time at Harvard as a crucial opportunity to “really think things through and process them,” believing it will enhance her ability to advise military leaders on tactics and strategies. “I’m grateful for this opportunity,” she stated, “I believe it’s going to give me the skills and the ability to perform better while I’m deployed… I’m in it for the good of the nation.”
