String of flukes led Brittany Akers to law school
Now she uses her UNC School of Law degree as a senior staff attorney for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Brittany Akers ’24 (JD) has many family ties to Carolina but took an untraditional path to the UNC School of Law. That path was filled with happy accidents that also led to the U.S. Coast Guard, where she is putting her law degree into practice.
“My professional life seems to be a string of serendipitous flukes, to be honest,” said Akers. “I wish I was one of those people that knew what I wanted to do at 5 years old, but that just was not my story.”
Akers was born in North Carolina and grew up in a household of Carolina Blue. Her parents, Win Barton ’79 and Quay Barton ’82, met through mutual friends while students at Carolina.
(Submitted photo)
She attended UNC Greensboro with hopes of a career in the medical field before hearing about a tuition assistance program with the U.S. Coast Guard for college students. She applied and transferred to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Fifteen years later, she is still with the Coast Guard.
At first, Akers’ Coast Guard roles primarily involved marine safety — inspecting boats and ships to ensure regulatory compliance to keep passengers and cargo safe, investigating maritime accidents, and providing federal waterways oversight.
Then Akers was selected into the Coast Guard’s program for active-duty members to attend law school. UNC Law was an easy choice for Akers, with her Carolina Blue upbringing and parents in nearby Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who could be a support system for her and her two children.
“Being an attorney in the Coast Guard gives me the opportunity to meld my background and experience in the Coast Guard with the analytical skills honed in law school to be able to use my skills in the future as well,” said Akers.
(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
She is now applying that knowledge as a senior staff attorney and lieutenant commander in Portsmouth, Virginia.
In this role, Akers manages an operational law portfolio and answers questions about legal authorities while the Coast Guard is on specific missions. She also provides command advice on a wide range of issues, including military justice.
“My experience at UNC Law helped me hone critical thinking skills that are instrumental in my job as an attorney,” Akers said. “The School of Law professors helped me learn more about legal research, how to look at and analyze material, and how to write in a compelling, yet understandable way. Those skills are transferable into what I’m doing now and will remain relevant for roles yet to come.”
