Watching the afterburners of F-15s and F-16s take off from Elmendorf Air Base in southern Alaska lit a fire in Charles Westerhaus as a kindergartener. His passion for aviation led him to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, and later to the Navy’s flight school where he learned to operate the Lockheed P-3 Orion and Boeing P-8 Poseidon. Four decades later, Westerhaus is about to take off from a different runway altogether when he crosses the stage at the Indiana University Auditorium to earn his law degree.
Moving from place to place—and thus school to school—as the son of an Air Force veteran taught Westerhaus to adapt on the fly early on in life.
“Every year was different,” he said, of growing up in California, Alaska, Wisconsin, and Indiana. “But I knew early on I wanted to do two things—to fly and to go to law school one day.” When it came time to decide on a collegiate destination, the Naval Academy offered Westerhaus the best chance to pursue his dream of becoming an airman. He completed flight school and was sent to Jacksonville, Florida to become trained as a mission commander/tactical coordinator of the P-3, known primarily for its capabilities as a surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft.
The mission commander’s responsibilities include the safety of the airplane and ensuring the crew’s mission is completed. “Think ‘Goose,’” he said, referring to the Top Gun character.
His last day of flight school was on September 11, 2001.
That changed his first deployment from what he thought would be a relatively mundane deployment in Asia to a situation where a nation was suddenly in a wartime posture.
“I accumulated more than 600 hours of combat time,” Westerhaus said.
His leadership skills were quickly recognized by his peers and his commanding officers alike, and he was chosen to become an instructor for all new pilots and Navy officers. He went on to teach scores of pilots and commanders over the course of his two-decade career.
While his mother, fellow Maurer alumna Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow, ’92, thought her son could retire as a Naval aviator, he knew he wanted to become a lawyer. He always did.
As a child, Westerhaus would often visit one of his mother’s friends, the Hon. Norma Higgins, the first Black female judge in the state of Washington. On a road trip from Alaska to Ohio, Westerhaus’ biological father stopped in Washington so the pair could visit “Auntie Norma” as the younger Westerhaus called her. She invited him to her courtroom the next day.
“You never know those moments as a child that will stick with you,” he recalled. “But I remember walking into that courtroom as a five- or six-year-old and thinking it was inspiring. Seeing this woman who’d made us Easter dinner the day before take command of a courtroom made me realize early on I wanted to be part of this game of chess of very intricate rules.”
After his overseas deployment came to an end, Westerhaus was based again in Washington, where he’d see Higgins often. She continued to encourage him to pursue law school. And so, at the age of 41, he did.
The Law School’s former Assistant Dean of Admissions, Frank Motley, had recruited Westerhaus-Renfrow back in 1989, encouraging her and her late husband David Westerhaus—and Indiana native—to come visit. Motley even took Westerhaus to his first Indiana University basketball game, an exhibition against Athletes in Action.
In 2008, when his now-wife came out to Indiana to meet the Westerhaus family, Motley invited them down to Bloomington to see the Law School.
“As we were walking to the Indiana Memorial Union, I told my father that I’d come here and earn a law degree,” Westerhaus said. “It was a commitment I made to him before he passed away.”
Almost 15 years later, that promise will be kept when the school recognizes the Class of 2022 on May 7.
Life as an older law student can be lonely at times, Westerhaus admits, but he credits his family—his wife, three children, and yes, his mother—with providing a support system that has kept him engaged.
“I’ve been called ‘Professor’ more times than I need to hear,” he joked, “but I have a newfound appreciation for my younger peers. There’s a space of openness here that has exposed me to different ideas.”
As an Admissions Fellow, Westerhaus has been engaging with future Indiana Law students, serving as a resource for them as they navigate their path to law school. While Westerhaus will pursue a career in cybersecurity and data privacy with Faegre Drinker in Indianapolis, he knows not everyone has their journey mapped out before they start their legal education. And that’s okay, he said.
“When I have these discussions with admitted students, I always ask them if they know what kind of law they’d like to practice,” Westerhaus said. “And I applaud the ones who say they don’t know. As the son of a lawyer, I know my mom never brought her work home. I didn’t even know what kind of law she focused on. There are so many little things in law school that can change your direction.”
Westerhaus’ military background caught the attention of Dean Austen Parrish, who suggested that Indiana University’s Master of Science in Cybersecurity Risk Management program might be a perfect addition to his legal studies.
“You can read the tea leaves, and whether it’s in the military world or in the media, you can easily see that cybersecurity and privacy are going to continue being areas of strong growth in the years ahead,” he said. “When I was interviewing for jobs, the dual-degree would always stand out. When I was in the Navy, we were taught two things: Always have options and always try to be in an area of growth. The dual-degree is going to help me get in on the ground floor of a fast-moving field.”
As he wraps up his Law School career, Westerhaus has some advice for the next generation of law students.
“Let the fields of law find you,” he said. “Let the spontaneity of finding something that grabs your interest lead you in the direction you want. And enjoy every passing moment. They fly by.”
I am truly proud of Charles and his accomplishments in all areas. He is also a loving and caring husband to his wife and children. I truly wish him continued success along his additional journey!