Called to Service

Harvard Law Student Will Work in JAG Corps

by Tom Campisi

Gregory Escobar, a third-year student at Harvard Law School and a member of Christian Union's ministry, is ready for deployment.

Escobar will graduate in May and has accepted a position with the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps as a staff officer in the United States Navy. It's a law career and a calling.

"One of the big reasons I am in the military is that I believe, as Christians, we are called to serve," Escobar said.

As the grandson of immigrants, Escobar is also serving out of gratitude.

"I owe a lot to this country," he said. "My grandparents immigrated from the Philippines when my dad was a child. They sacrificed a good life in the Philippines so my dad and my family could enjoy the opportunities of America. That is something for which I have always been grateful. I wanted to give back to my country."

As he looks back on the last three years, Escobar is grateful for the community, intellectual engagement, and encouragement he found with Christian Union and Harvard Law School Christian Fellowship. He came to Harvard Law School after working for two years as a paralegal for the Home School Legal Defense Association in Purcellville, Virginia, also the home of his alma mater, Patrick Henry College.

"I knew Harvard Law School was going to be hard and I knew I needed to be connected to a Christian community," he said. "Christian Union has helped me meet other Christians on campus and I have become friends with many of them."

Escobar especially appreciated the structure and depth of the Christian Union Bible Courses.

"The Bible course was like another academic class at Harvard Law School," he said. "This semester, we went through Romans. I enjoyed the discussions between students and ministry faculty and how we applied biblical principles in our own lives."

The Virginia native also noted the impact of Christian Union's weekly lunch-time discussion groups, which feature a review of an article or book or a guest speaker. Escobar was impressed with the witness and wisdom of guest speaker Barry Rowan, the executive vice president/CFO of Cool Planet Energy Systems and a member of the board of trustees with InterVarsity. Rowan spoke twice in the last couple of years.

Jim Garretson, a Christian Union teaching fellow at Harvard, said Escobar often acted as a liaison between campus ministries and did a lot to promote unity among Christians studying law. Additionally, Escobar was recently part of the team that started Law Students for Life at Harvard Law School.

"Gregory is a sensitive and thoughtful man whose maturity in Christ was evident from our first meeting," Garretson said. "He has been active in several Christian ministries on the HLS campus and has worked hard to build community and trust among the existing ministries."

Following graduation in May, Escobar will report to Officer Development School and then Naval Justice School, where he will learn the fundamentals of the military's justice system. Following the completion of these courses, he will spend two years in a regional service office rotating between different departments to gain an overview of various fields of law. JAG officers work in a wide range of areas, from helping service members and their families with legal issues to influencing developments in international law.

Garretson is confident that Escobar will be a judge advocate who serves his country and his Lord with honor.

"Gregory exercises great self-discipline in his walk with Christ," said Garretson. "We hope that his time with our campus ministry has reinforced his devotion to Christ and His Word, provided thoughtful intellectual engagement related to the interface of biblical teaching and the practice of law, and given him a long-term vision for how he may serve Christ in his vocational calling."