THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 12, 1995 TAG: 9505120053
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NOREEN FARRELL NICKOLAS, CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
FOR PETER Pierce, a former Navy F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot, missing the mark on a pitching flight deck of an aircraft carrier could have meant death for himself and his crew.
But Pierce, who was known to squadron colleagues by his call sign ``Jaguar,'' hit the target so often, he consistently ranked in the top 10 percent of pilots who completed their passes successfully.
Now the 50-year-old veteran, who became a flight instructor and test pilot before retiring in 1986, is aiming to make his mark as a counselor at law.
``Of the two titles a person might use, either attorney or counselor at law, counselor at law is most important because you are able to help your client understand what alternatives are available to them,'' he said.
Pierce will graduate Saturday from Regent University's School of Law with a 3.2 grade point average.
The easygoing Connecticut native with steel-blue eyes and a ready smile says he can't explain his passion for aviation. His father, Burdick, who was an engineer with AT&T, hated to fly, and his mother, Ruth, has never flown.
But he knows what aroused his interest in law: his experiences as an expert witness in two governmental contract disputes involving aviation and as a jury foreman in three court cases in Virginia Beach.
The Duke University graduate believes his 20 years of aviation experience and maturity will transfer well to the practice of law.
``Developing teamwork between the pilot and naval flight officer is similar to the type of teamwork required if you're working together as attorneys in a negotiation or preparing for a trial,'' Pierce said.
As with any tactical situation, the crew determines when to engage and when to back off, he said.
Pierce says he enrolled at Regent because it fulfilled all the academic requirements he was looking for in a school, and then some. ``It caught my attention, it was in the area, and it had a strong biblical foundation.''
Last February, Pierce demonstrated his prowess at the American Bar Association's negotiation competition for law students in Miami. He and his partner, Regent student Steven Sullivan, won the national championship.
``Peter has a very collaborative approach to negotiation,'' said Eugene Elser, a Regent law professor. ``He's learned to be sensitive to his partner. Both of them recognized each other's strengths and played off each other, so they could make a good team.''
An avid golfer and skier, Pierce lives in Virginia Beach with his wife of 25 years, Leilani; his daughter, Kathryn, 17, a junior at Norfolk Academy; and his mother-in-law, Doris Hall.
Though he says he'll be flexible about the area of law he will choose, his preference is aviation law. Meanwhile, he's learning estate planning and tax law as a clerk with a Chesapeake firm.
Some who know Pierce say his move to law was not surprising. They describe him as a deep thinker who is a problem solver.
``I thought he would be a great lawyer,'' said Phil Hampton, a section head with the Navy's Operational Test and Evaluation Force.
``He's very pragmatic and is always looking for a good solution. He's the kind of guy who would lead you into a battle.'' MEMO: Noreen Farrell Nickolas is a graduating senior at Norfolk State
University. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
by CNB