Meet IU McKinney Student Zachary Potter
11/05/2025
Zachary Potter is a 2L from Terre Haute who discovered he wanted to become a lawyer while a student at West Point.
Where did you do your undergraduate studies and what was your major?
I graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Law and Legal Studies.
After graduating, I commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and branched Infantry in the United States Army. For my first assignment, I was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (101st Airborne Division) in 2021. There, I served as a light Infantry Platoon Leader for Charlie (Crusher) Company, 1st Battalion (Leader), 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade (Rakkasans). Following that assignment, I served as the Executive Officer for our Delta (Dragon) Company, which was our heavy weapons company. Finally, upon completing my time in Dragon Company, I transitioned over to our Headquarters and Headquarters Company (Hatchet) to serve as the Executive Officer.
What brought you to IU McKinney?
In 2024, near the end of my assignment at Fort Campbell, I learned that I had been accepted into the Army Funded Legal Education Program, a program that allows active-duty officers to attend law school. Upon graduation, I will serve as a judge advocate in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. After being accepted into the program, I wanted to return home to Indiana to attend law school and be close to my family once again.
Any lawyers in the family? What made you want to become a lawyer?
There are no lawyers in my family. My true inspiration in becoming a lawyer came from my time at West Point. I was not too familiar with the role of a JAG officer in the Army at the time, but one experience really shed light on how important JAG officers are to the Army. In 2019, I was involved in a deadly training accident where I lost one of my close friends in a vehicle turnover. Following the accident, I immediately saw the impact a JAG officer had on the Army. Seeing the JAG officers help my friend’s family receive the justice they deserved helped me realize that is the kind of role I want to serve in the Army. I look forward to graduating from IU McKinney and returning to the force to do justice for families like my friend’s.
What area of law are you hoping to practice in after you complete your legal education?
After I complete my Army career, I am interested in serving as in-house counsel for a corporation. I would also like to volunteer for the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) through the Lawyers Serving Warriors (LSW) pro bono program to assist veterans with the disability appeals process and to ensure they receive the benefits they deserve.
In the photo, Zachary Potter is with his wife, Caron, right, and their son, Jack.
