Del Crandall

Biography

Del Crandall is a native of Elgin, Ill. He attended Northwestern University on a Naval ROTC scholarship, receiving a B.A. in Economics and a Navy commission.

Crandall’s first assignment was on USS Lockwood (FF 1064) in Japan, where he earned his surface warfare officer qualification. After selection for the Navy’s funded law program, he attended Georgetown University. In 1992, he graduated cum laude and became a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In 1999, he earned an LL.M. in International Law from George Washington University with highest honors. He is a member of the State Bar of Virginia.

As a JAG, Crandall completed assignments in Washington, D.C., Florida, Japan, England, Italy and Germany.  After serving as a defense attorney and prosecutor, he spent most of his career as a Staff Judge Advocate advising commanders on national security law, international law, military justice matters and administrative law.  He also served on an aircraft carrier, USS Independence (CV 62); as the Commanding Officer of a Navy legal unit; and at the White House as a deputy legal advisor to the National Security Council staff.

He served nine years as an admiral, first as Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and next as the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy. In his final tour, he was the 45th Judge Advocate General of the Navy. As the JAG, he was the principal military legal counsel to both the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations.  He also led the 2,700 uniformed attorneys, enlisted paralegals and civilian employees of the worldwide Navy JAG community.

Crandall met his wife, Barbara, at Northwestern. They have three adult sons, a Welsh Terrier, and a cat.