During the 2014 Law Day celebration held on May 2nd at the Kitsap County Courthouse in Port Orchard, WA, the Kitsap County Bar Association recognized Lt. Lauren F. Hanzel, Naval Submarine Support Center, Bangor staff judge advocate, as the 2014 Outstanding Navy Legal Professional. Kathleen Lappi, Kitsap County Bar Association President, and Lt. Cmdr. Louis Butler, Commander, Submarine Group 9 staff judge advocate, presented the award.
Lt. Hanzel advises three submarine squadrons and twenty-two submarine crews. Her achievements this past year include: coordinating 75 non-judicial punishment cases, more than 70 administrative separations, 54 administrative and criminal investigations, eight line of duty investigations and providing expert legal advice on courts-martial and myriad other complex legal issues. She revolutionized the legal training program for COMSUBPAC units by developing and deploying a local semi-annual leadership training symposium and annual individual command triad training sessions.
Lt. Hanzel also expended great effort to facilitate expeditious criminal investigations and trials with the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office, Bremerton Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and civilian defense attorneys. Her assistance to the local prosecution and defense bars resulted in several expeditious alternative adjudications that benefitted both Kitsap County and our submarine Sailors. Presiding Judge Leila Mills conducted the ceremony and Washington State Supreme Court Justice Debra Stephens delivered the keynote address.
Capt. Anne Minami, Commanding Officer, Region Legal Service Office Northwest, Lt. Cmdr. Davin Rieke, Commander, Navy Region Northwest staff judge advocate, Lt. Cmdr. Michael Hanzel, Defense Service Office West Detachment Bremerton assistant officer-in-charge, and Legalman First Class Gail Hill, Naval Submarine Support Center, Bangor Leading Paralegal, were also in attendance.
Lt. Hanzel will report as an instructor at Naval Justice School Detachment Norfolk this summer.