Adam Mesick on His Dual Career Path

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While earning his JD at Pepperdine, Adam Mesick applied to work in the Judge Advocate General (JAG)’s Corps of the US Army. His father had been in the army and being a soldier had been on Mesick’s radar since he was young. The country, however, was enduring the Great Recession; there was a backlog in the application process and JAG basic training assignment.

Mesick was waiting to begin his JAG career when he received some advice that would set him on a dual career path. A retired JAG and current Boeing executive told Mesick, “It’s a lot of fun to have a full-time career in the armed forces,” but working at Boeing while also being a JAG will provide insight into the commercial side of law. “The invaluable opportunity to gain commercial law experience led me to work at Boeing and have a dual career,” Mesick says.

These concurrent roles would provide him with the wide breadth of law experience and the values he uses every day as corporate counsel at Cummins Inc.

The advice made sense to Mesick, but the decision was by no means a no-brainer. “It was a tough decision at the time to have a dual career, but I’m so thankful it happened because it got me on a path of being part of two organizations that really reflected my values. That combination of being both a lawyer and a soldier was really enticing. Boeing and the Army really emphasized servant leadership, which is being a team member, respecting others, being humble, and making the entire team better,” Mesick explains.

Mesick, who would ascend to the rank of captain, says being trained as an officer expedited his legal knowledge and trained him to be a servant leader. “The JAG Corps gets you real experience and provides you with legal support much quicker than most organizations and provides an opportunity to learn more quickly than other companies and other firms,” Mesick says.

Like all young JAGs, Mesick counseled soldiers on their wills and trusts, but eventually he tried cases as a defense attorney. “I represented soldiers that were being chaptered out of the military. I represented soldiers that were accused of violating the uniform code of military justice,” Mesick shares. He relished his role advocating for soldiers who needed a second chance. “It really had an impact on their lives. It’s powerful to support folks who have the opportunity to learn from something they did and still be able to continue forward and serve.”

“You have to apply your servant leadership, and your legal attributes, and really listen to your stakeholders and customers.”

Adam Mesick

While advocating for soldiers as a JAG, Mesick was also supporting Boeing’s supply chain, working commercial transactions and disputes, establishing supply chain processes, and supporting sales agreements. His two jobs were in perfect alignment, allowing him to gain needed commercial skills at Boeing while emphasizing the servant leadership training he gained from the military.

Mesick left the Seattle-based Boeing to join Cummins in Indiana to be closer to his in-laws when he and his wife started a family. Like Boeing and the US Army, Cummins reflects Mesick’s core values. “Really predominantly caring for people,” Mesick says. “They advertise how they care for people and how they value teamwork and diversity and inclusion, and they back up what they advertise.”

When Mesick arrived at Cummins in 2021, he started a variety of projects partnering with stakeholders. He embedded himself in the Cummins supply chain teams to gain knowledge about the business and improve training. “We applied our general counsel’s concept of being a legal statesperson to develop a training curriculum for supply chain, which didn’t exist before,” Mesick says. The training empowered supply chain to effectively negotiate and draft contracts and resolve supplier disputes. He also partnered with the supply chain organization to develop a contract process to create efficiencies and reduce contracting time.

As a servant leader, Mesick is a listener and an empathizer. “You have to apply your servant leadership, and your legal attributes, and really listen to your stakeholders and customers and take that feedback to provide a legal agreement that best fits their commercial needs,” Mesick notes.

US Army bootcamp training teases—or some might say outright wrests—several character traits out of those who train as soldiers. The most important of those, according to Mesick, is resilience, which in one word combines mindfulness, optimism, and enthusiasm. Mesick tells young lawyers to embrace a growth mindset and appreciate the experiences they are afforded. “In my career, to this day just having enthusiasm for trying new things, has really shaped my career and given me the fullest experience that I can have. That’s just critical for folks that are starting their careers.” Mesick says to try to make the most of every experience you have and fill your cup as much as you can from experience.

“Boeing and the Army really emphasized servant leadership, which is being a team member, respecting others, being humble, and making the entire team better.”

Adam Mesick

Mesick’s service to others has extended beyond the army, Boeing, and Cummins. While living in Seatle and Indianapolis, Mesick worked pro bono to represent individuals seeking asylum, an experience that enriched his life. “You see the impact it has on people’s lives, but also from an intellectual curiosity perspective, you get to learn so much about where they came from and their culture, and, oftentimes, their tragic experiences,” Mesick says.

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