He enrolled in Government and Foreign Affairs coursework in 1979-1981 while attending law school at the University of Virginia, where he earned his J.D degree.

He served in Vietnam from 1968 through 1971, primarily assigned to MACV on detail to the US Embassy as Assistant Special Projects Officer, North Vietnam/Viet Cong Affairs Division.

In his capacity as Special Projects Officer, he also authored a top secret monograph on Viet Cong assassination policy.

[5][8] He served as Griffin's national security advisor and was responsible for Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence issues.

[citation needed] In April 1981, Turner co-founded the Center for National Security Law with John Norton Moore.

[5] He also took a leave of absence to become the Special Assistant to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy as well as Counsel to the President's Intelligence Oversight Board,[5] where he served for two years.

[9] Two years later, he began the first of three terms as the chair of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security.