William Eckhardt

Who is William Eckhardt?

William G. Eckhardt is a lawyer, a professor of law at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and formerly a military officer, where his most notable case was the prosecution of Lieutenant William Calley and Captain Ernest Medina, for the My Lai Massacre.

Professor Eckhardt received his B.A., with honors from the University of Mississippi in 1963 where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Professor Eckhardt went on to receive his LL.B., also with honors, from the University of Virginia in 1966. In addition, he earned an LL.M. Equivalent with honors from The Judge Advocate General’s School in 1970. He is a graduate of the United States Army War College, where he later served on the faculty and held the Dwight D. Eisenhower Chair of National Security.

Professor Eckhardt completed 30 years of service and retired as Colonel in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. His significant positions included: Chief Prosecutor in the My Lai Cases, Personnel Affairs Branch Chief in the Army’s Litigation Division, General Counsel to units in California and Germany, the Army’s Chief Appellate Defender and Legal Advisor to Wartime Theater Commander. His varying teaching duties included being an Adjunct Professor at the University of California at Berkeley.