Brian V. Banas

banas

Education

  • J.D., Notre Dame Law School, ‘01
  • B.A., University of Notre Dame, Philosophy, ‘98

Extracurricular Activities While at NDLS

  • Journal of Legislation
  • Assistant Coach, Notre Dame Varsity Fencing Team
  • Asian Law Students Association

Work Experience While At NDLS

  • Intern, Office of the United States Attorney, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn, NY) 1999
  • Intern, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps (Wiesbaden, Germany) 2000

Employment

  • Assistant Staff Judge Advocate
    U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps
    United States Air Force Academy, CO
    2004 – present
  • Litigation Associate
    Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP
    Cincinnati, OH
    2001 – 2004

Insights Regarding My Area of Practice

  • I’m proud to serve as both a military officer and an officer of the court, and serving as a military attorney at has many unique challenges and rewards. The role of an attorney at a base level Air Force base is equal parts city attorney, prosecutor, and in-house counsel. In addition to prosecuting court-martials, I work on a range of issues to support the installation, including advising commanders and servicemembers on legal matters, personal and military. Additionally, USAFA’s academic and military training missions for cadets present many interesting legal issues unique to the Academy.

Volunteer/Pro Bono Work

  • I teach Professional Military Leadership to an Academy cadet squadron. I also serve as an Assistant Coach for the Air Force Academy’s varsity fencing team.

On the NDLS Education:

“My time at NDLS impressed upon me that what kind of lawyer I am is a function of what kind of person I have set out to be. For me, that means my professional commitment to competence and excellence in the practice must be grounded in the personal commitment to serve and positively affect others’ lives.”

On the NDLS Family:

“Although I attended ND for my undergraduate degree, I did not expect how profound an impact becoming part of the NDLS family would have on me. You can get a legal education at a lot of places, but only in a supportive community like NDLS can you become part of a family while attending law school. My classmates were first-class, intelligent, supportive individuals. I made great friends and had memorable, fun times. Just like other alumni whose profiles you’ll read on this website, my law school friends and I stay in touch regularly. For me, the faculty was a big part of setting the tone of NDLS as a supportive academic community. After law school, I became an active member of my local Notre Dame Club and eventually became a board member in one of the nation’s largest alumni clubs (Cincinnati). I again made many great friends though ND… in addition to meeting my wife, Pamela (ND 2002).”