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1. WHY IS EXPERIENCE IN THE NAVY JAG CORPS MY BEST CHOICE AFTER LAW SCHOOL?
As a Navy JAG Corps officer, you will build your attorney skills, exercise leadership and serve the people of the United States of America. As a member of a world-wide law firm, you’ll experience many areas of legal practice, form professional relationships with mentors and enjoy personal friendships with colleagues. At the end of four years as a naval officer, you will have enhanced your own advocacy style and discovered many things about yourself, such as what you really want to do as a practicing attorney. That could mean continuing your military career as an active duty or reserve naval officer. Alternatively, it may mean reverting to civilian life, well pleased with your personal growth and professional achievements. Applying for a commission as a Navy JAG Corps officer while you are a law student is the first step in this path of professional development and personal satisfaction.

2. WHAT IS THE NAVY JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL’S (JAG) CORPS?
The Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps is comprised of approximately 750 attorneys who serve as commissioned officers in pay grades ranging from lieutenant junior grade through rear admiral. Navy judge advocates are stationed throughout the continental United States, overseas, and aboard ships. Our diverse responsibilities include the following:

a. Advising the Secretary of the Navy, the civilian executive assistants, and the naval professional assistants on matters of law arising within the Department of the Navy,

b. Management and implementation of the Navy’s criminal justice system in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Navy JAG attorneys serve as prosecutors, defense counsel or presiding judges in criminal trials at courts-martial, appellate advocates and jurists, and advisors to convening authorities;

c. Management and implementation of fact-finding bodies over which the Judge Advocate General of the Navy has primary cognizance. Examples are formal investigations, litigation reports and courts of inquiry;

d. Performance of claims-related functions including collection, settlement, and payment of claims filed under various federal statutes;

e. Advising naval commanders about legal issues including interpretation and application of statutes and regulations, labor-management relations, and military justice matters;

f. Providing legal assistance to members of the naval service, retirees and their families;

g. Liaison with and assistance to the Department of Justice and other federal agencies in litigation affecting the Department of the Navy;

h. Providing advice and information about admiralty and international law to naval officers, including Commanding Officers of warships and flag officers in command of battle groups;

i. Providing academic lectures to military lawyers in the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard as Naval Justice School instructors, to military officers as Naval War College instructors and educating members of the naval service about Rules of Engagement, military justice and civil law.

j. Commanding Naval Legal Service Offices (NLSO) and Trial Service Offices (TSO), which serve as resource centers for legal advice and services for the Fleet and operating forces.

3. HOW MANY ATTORNEYS ARE THERE IN THE NAVY JAG CORPS AND WHAT
ARE THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS?
As of July 2004 there were approximately 750 Navy Judge Advocates on active duty, including 237 women (32%) and 116 officers who designate themselves as a minorities (15%).

4.WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF PRACTICING LAW IN THE NAVY JAG CORPS?
Navy Judge Advocates have the unique opportunity to serve our country as naval officers while practicing the legal profession. After formal training and with appropriate supervision, new judge advocates are given the opportunity to perform as attorneys representing their own clients. Most of our new judge advocates begin their practice of law in a NLSO or TSO for a three-year tour. Approximately twelve to eighteen months of the new judge advocate’s first three years with the Navy JAG Corps will be spent working in criminal law matters. This normally entails trying courts-martial as prosecutors or defense counsel. As a newly commissioned JAG Corps officer, you are responsible for the preparation and presentation of your own cases; experiencing the challenge of trial advocacy is yours from the outset. Building on the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Uniform Code of Military Justice provides greater rights for defendants (referred to as “Accused” in military parlance,) than other criminal justice systems, unique pre-trial conferences with presiding judges, and jurors who are members of the Accused’s military community. The experience Navy judge advocates gain in this challenging environment will include presenting evidence, examining witnesses, delivering oral arguments, and preparing trial and appellate briefs. This hands-on experience and responsibility, generally acquired in your first tour of duty, will hone your advocacy skills and provide a strong background that will be drawn on for the remainder of your legal career. Navy judge advocates also gain experience as general practitioners by providing free legal assistance to military personnel and their families. Finally, new judge advocates have the opportunity, while administering tort-claims regulations, to negotiate and deal directly with civilian attorneys who represent individual clients and insurance companies.

5. WHAT ARE THE MAJOR PRACTICE AREAS FOR NAVAL JUDGE ADVOCATES?
The Navy JAG Corps provides young judge advocates the opportunity to work in several areas of law. Later in your career, you may have the opportunity to concentrate in a practice area through attainment of an L.L.M. and relevant follow-on assignments. The major practice areas of the Navy JAG Corps are listed below in alphabetical order. Asterisks indicate this area is also a specialization field via our Post-Graduate Education Program, leading to an L.L.M. and is discussed in paragraph #16 below:
a. Administrative Law
b. Admiralty Law
c. Civil Litigation and claims
d. *Criminal/Military Law and Trial Advocacy (Courts-martial trial level prosecution, defense and
military judge and various appellate functions)
e. *Environmental Law
f. *Health Care Law
g. *International Law and Operational Law (including Rules of Engagement)
h. Investigations i. *Labor Law
j. Legal assistance to Navy personnel and their dependents on civil law matters (includes confidential advice and possible representation)
k. Legislative liaison
l. *Taxation

6. ARE NAVY JAG CORPS OFFICERS REQUIRED TO PERFORM DUTY IN COMBAT
OR AT SEA?
Navy JAG Corps officers have the opportunity to serve at sea with the operating forces of the Navy. Positions for men and women interested in sea duty are available aboard aircraft carriers, tenders and with afloat staffs embarked on Navy vessels. Wherever assigned, JAG Corps officers perform legal or administrative duties as legal counsel. In the event that armed conflict should occur you might find yourself in a combat zone or on a combatant ship. Although your primary duties will be legal in nature, like all members of ships’ crew, JAG Corps officers participate in the ship’s damage control organization and have the opportunity to participate in ship control functions. More senior judge advocates (lieutenant commanders, commanders and captains) are frequently involved in combat mission training, mission planning, and mission execution. None of the sea-duty billets, however, are available to officers as a first tour of duty with the Navy JAG Corps.

7. WHAT IS THE TRAINING PIPELINE FOR ATTORNEYS WHO ENTER THE JAG CORPS?
As a member of the Navy JAG Corps, you will not undergo basic training in the traditional sense, but will attend Officer Indoctrination School (OIS) in Newport, Rhode Island. OIS is a five-week course of instruction designed to acquaint newly commissioned officers with the customs and traditions of the naval service. As an OIS student, you will learn how to conduct yourself as an officer and will receive extensive leadership training. You will be required to march to and from classes, participate in physical fitness training, and stand personnel and room inspections. Also included is instruction on the basic principles of shipboard navigation, damage control (firefighting, flooding measures and first aid), naval administration, and disciplinary procedures.

OIS is the first step in the JAG Corps training pipeline and is normally attended after completion of the bar examination. After graduating OIS and upon attainment of successful bar examination results (from any State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia,) Navy Judge Advocates attend the Basic Lawyer Course at Naval Justice School (NJS) in Newport, RI. Graduation from the Basic Lawyer Course at NJS is a prerequisite for service on active duty as a Navy Judge Advocate. The course of instruction is nine weeks in length and covers civil and military law as well intensive trial advocacy training. Following graduation from NJS, Navy Judge Advocates normally report to the Naval Legal Service Office in Norfolk, Virginia for one week of naval orientation. There, you will visit various naval commands and operational units, hear from active duty Navy Judge Advocates and observe them in action. Immediately following this orientation week, you will serve two weeks aboard a Naval vessel, so that you will experience the unique perspective of shipboard life and duties. Thereafter, you are provided proceed and leave time to move and report to your first duty station.

8. WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY AND DUTIES FOR A NEW JUDGE ADVOCATE?
While one of the virtues of naval service is that each day brings new and unexpected challenges, there are fundamental aspects of service in the Navy JAG Corps which are distinct from the practice of law in the private sector and civilian employment in government service. Service to the Fleet -- its Sailors, leadership and families is the Navy JAG Corps officer’s “bottomline.” That means the Navy relies upon you, the new judge advocate, to fulfill the legal needs of naval commands and personnel. Because our practice of law is not dependent upon maximizing profits, there is no culture of accumulating billable hours. That gives you officers the opportunity to balance your professional life with ample time for a personal and family life.
A typical day for a new Navy JAG Corps officer may look like this: Normal working hours are generally 0730-1630 (4:30pm). Semi-annual physical fitness testing creates a fitness-focused culture. Colleagues and mentors regularly jog and pursue personal fitness programs or recreational/intermural sports. Lunch breaks are expected to be of sufficient length to include physical fitness training at least three times per week. Unless required by military necessity, weekends and federal holidays are not workdays --- such personal time is affectionately referred to as “liberty.”

9. WHY SERVE IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY INSTEAD OF ANOTHER ARMED
SERVICE?
The preeminence of sea power to secure military victory ashore and influence world affairs has been recognized by military historians for over one hundred years. President John F. Kennedy is often quoted for his “I served in the United States Navy” remarks and remembered as the first of six Presidents to have served as a naval officer. The technology of today’s Navy enables it to reach from the ocean’s depths to outer space and project air power, missiles and armed personnel ashore. This diverse range of military capability provides the naval judge advocate the widest possible array of legal issues. The U.S. Navy’s principal assets are ships, aircraft (both fixed and rotary wing) and submarines, operating on, above and in the world’s oceans. Navy JAG officers have the opportunity to serve at sea aboard aircraft carriers and amphibious ships during the course of their service. Naval aviation assets include fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. Although these air forces may be land-based like those in other services, it is only naval aviation units that routinely land and launch from aircraft carriers for operations at sea or over a foreign nation’s territory. Every naval deployment brings unique maritime, environmental and international issues to the desks of our line officers and their attorneys – Navy Judge Advocates. Amphibious ships carry vehicles and aircraft, combining sea power and air power while putting armed troops ashore. Elite SEAL Teams conduct operations at sea as well as riverine and land environments. Naval warships routinely visit foreign ports. Thus, legal issues arising from land-based operations and international port visits are also part of our client’s needs. Accordingly, service as a Navy JAG Corps officer means you will be a leader in the only armed force that conducts operations in ALL mediums: sea, air, land. Service the U.S. Navy provides you the widest array of legal issues and responsibilities imaginable.

Navy JAGC attorneys are primarily charged with assisting operational commands, assisting Sailors and their families and litigating within the military justice system. Because the Navy JAG Corps is only 35 years old, it was created after a civilian force of naval department attorneys, called Office of General Counsel (OGC). In keeping with its historical responsibilities, OGC attorneys handle the vast majority of the contracts, labor law and administrative law issues. While Navy JAGC officers encounter some of these issues, our Corps smaller size and the presence of OGC means a higher percentage of OUR attorneys are litigating in the military justice system and serving as legal advisors (known as Staff Judge Advocates or SJA) to operational commands.

10. DOES THE NAVY JAG CORPS HAVE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS TO EARN A JURIS DOCTORATE?
No, the monetary benefits from naval service begin with active duty and are specifically described in subsequent answers. Please note however, that the Navy does provide a three phase retention bonus program totaling $60,000. These bonuses are aimed at assisting officers pay off their student debt. The Navy’s ROTC program does not have an option leading to commission as a JAG Corps officer.

11. WHAT ARE THE RANK AND PAY OF A NEW OFFICER IN THE NAVY JAG
CORPS?
Attorneys entering the Navy JAG Corps via the Direct Appointment (DA) Program are appointed as lieutenants junior grade, pay grade O-2 (See paragraph #23 below for description of DA Program.) They may expect promotion to lieutenant, paygrade O-3, approximately one year after they begin extended active duty. Individuals who enter through the JAG Corps Student Program (SP) will be commissioned as ensigns. (See paragraph #23 below for description of SP Program.). If they join in law school and participate in the JAG Corps Student Program for more than two years, they will be eligible for promotion to lieutenant junior grade while still in school. In any event, they will be promoted to lieutenant junior grade at the time they accept superseding appointments in the Navy JAG Corps to designator 2505, upon commencement of studies at the Naval Justice School, at which time they leave the SP rolls. Participants in the Student Program are eligible for superseding appointment to lieutenant junior grade when they commence extended active duty after having passed their bar examination. They may expect to be promoted to lieutenant approximately one year after their graduation from law school.
Active duty judge advocate pay starts at between $53,000 and $60,000 per year as a LTJG (0-2), depending on when the officer accepts a commission and where they are stationed (This salary uses the January 2004 pay scale and includes non-taxable allowances). Within one year or less and promotion to LT (0-3) an officer can expect to earn between $60,000 and $77,000 per year - through a combination of pay increases due to promotion to lieutenant and longevity increases. Current information on base pay and allowances, such as the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), is available at www.dfas.mil. BAH allowances vary according to the cost of living in the relevant geographic area.

12. WHAT ARE THE PROMOTION PATTERNS FOR THE NAVY JAG CORPS?
Successful applicants to the JAG Corps students are commissioned as inactive ensigns during law school. After passing your bar examination and reporting for after reporting for extended active duty, you will receive a superseding appointments as Reserve officers in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, designator 2505, on active duty. At the time that JAG Corps students accept their superseding appointments, they receive service credit (for promotion purposes only) of up to three years for the period that they were attending law school while not in a commissioned status. Due to this service credit, JAG Corps students will be promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) upon acceptance of the 2505 designator appointment. Service credit accelerates an individual’s promotion and determines rank. The granting of service credit does not alter an individual’s longevity for pay purposes. Basic pay longevity is computed in accordance with the pay entry base dated established upon the officer’s initial acceptance of an inactive commission with a 1955 designator.

JAG Corps students commence their active duty with a minimum of three years of commissioned service credit for promotion purposes. (More credit is given if the student has prior commissioned service.) This means that one may expect promotion to lieutenant after no more than twelve months active duty as a lieutenant junior grade. The schedule below reflects averages and may fluctuate up to 20% as retention rates and many other factors may require variance.

Officers in the Navy JAG Corps presently serve approximately six years as lieutenants before they are eligible for promotion to lieutenant commander (pay grade O-4). Lieutenant commanders serve approximately six years before they are eligible for promotion to commander (pay grade O-5). Time in grade is subject to congressional and Navy officer strength planning decisions which are determined annually. JAG Corps officer promotion patterns for the most part match those of their sea-going counterparts. The current promotion patterns are as follows:

Years of commissioned service Pay Grade
0-2 Ensign (ENS/O-1)
2-4 Lieutenant junior grade (LTJG/O-2)
4-10 Lieutenant (LT/O-3)
10-16 Lieutenant Commander (LCDR/O-4)
16-21 Commander (CDR/O-5)
Over 21 Captain/Flag (CAPT/O-6, RADM/O-8)

13. DO OFFICERS IN THE NAVY JAG CORPS HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN UNIFORMS?
Yes.
Officers in the Navy JAG Corps are required to purchase their own uniforms. A one-time uniform allowance of approximately $400.00, and interest free loans on initial uniform purchases are provided to help defray this expense.

14. WHAT IS THE SERVICE OBLIGATION OF NAVY JAG CORPS?
All commissioning programs require active duty service. Individuals who enter the Navy JAG Corps via the Direct Appointment or Student Programs are required to maintain their commission for eight years from the date of their superseding appointment into the JAG Corps as a 2505 designated officer. This includes a four-year active duty obligation, which commences when the officer reports to their first duty station following graduation from Naval Justice School. Following the completion of the active duty obligation, officers may serve in an inactive status. At present there is no annual drill requirement, nor any requirement to take any other active part in the Reserve Program once they leave active duty. All law students and licensed attorneys commencing extended active duty after October 1, 2003 will incur a four-year active duty obligation.

15. WHAT IMPACT DOES MILITARY SERVICE HAVE UPON MY OBLIGATION TO REPAY EDUCATIONAL LOANS?
The Higher Education Amendment Act of 1992 significantly changed eligibility for deferments based upon military service. Those entering military service must now demonstrate economic hardship as defined by the act. This change applies to loans for which the first disbursement was made on or after July 1, 1993, and when the individual was a new borrower. If you received any educational loans prior to that date you may be eligible for deferment. Additionally, loans obtained directly from law schools (except GSL/Stafford) and bar loans may be subject to a cap on the chargeable interest rate specified by the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act (SSCRA). If you have questions, we recommend that you contact your lender directly.

A number of law schools and private lenders have also established loan assistance repayment programs, generally intended to provide assistance to students who word full time in law or law enforcement related jobs which are in the public interest. Service in the JAG Corps will often meet the eligibility requirements for these programs. Students interested in these loan forgiveness programs should contact their law school career services offices or financial aid officers for details.

16. WHAT OTHER FINANCIAL BENEFITS ARE THERE FROM MILITARY
SERVICE?
There are many benefits enjoyed by active duty Navy officers, including:
(a) Free medical and dental care. Officers on active military duty receive full medical and dental care. Their families are entitled to medical care via military or other specified health care providers. Comprehensive Dental Insurance plan and health insurance plans are also available for family members.
(b) Members of the Navy and their families are entitled to shop at military exchanges and commissaries. Exchanges are worldwide chains of “department stores” which sell brand-name items at discounts. Commissaries are supermarkets and save military families approximately 25% on their food bills when compared with other chains.
(c) Military members accrue 30 days paid leave (vacation) per year.
(d) The military also has a liberal noncontributory retirement system and Thrift Savings Plan.
(e) Insurance. A family indemnity compensation plan, Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance and other government programs are available in the event of death while on active duty. Status as a military officer also qualifies the family for personal automobile and renter’s insurance at lower costs than non-military families.
(f) Banking and financial services. Status as a military officer qualifies the family for credit unions and a wide array of financial planning and investment services.
(g) Recreational discounts and services through Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs.
(h) Foreign duty and travel opportunities through temporary or permanent assignment.
(i) Quality of Life: work a forty-plus hour week with the focus on physical fitness --not billable hours.
(k) Postgraduate Education. A judge advocate interested in earning an LLM degree may, if selected, study at an approved law school of his/her choice for one year while earning his/her normal salary and with all education expenses, except books, paid by the Navy. Selection is based on performance during the initial and subsequent tours. By participating in this program, a judge advocate incurs an additional active duty obligation. Participation is limited to those who have remained on active duty beyond their initial period of obligated service.
(l) Continuation Pay. Career officers are eligible for a total of $60,000 when achieving various career milestones and in exchange for commitments to further service. The first payment of $30,000 is linked to the officer’s augmentation into the regular Navy and occurs approximately the fifth year of active duty.
(m) Non-taxable Allowances. In addition to salary, active duty military personnel are entitled to non-taxable housing and subsistence allowances. (For discussion, see paragraph seven above or visit www.dfas.mil).
(n) GI BILL Officers are eligible to enroll in this program, designed to create access to monthly payments for attaining advanced degrees or education in the future.

17. WHEN IS MY FAMILY COVERED BY MILITARY HEALTHCARE SERVICE PROVIDERS?
As referred to in paragraph #16 above, one of the benefits of active duty military service is complete medical and dental coverage for the service member and their dependent family. For Navy JAGC officers, commencement of active duty varies depending on their commissioning program. Student Program participants normally begin active duty with NJS, after successful bar results are received, and OIS is completed in a status that does NOT provide medical coverage for family members. By contrast, Direct Appointment Program officers begin active duty with OIS and remain in active duty status continuously until and NJS begins. (See paragraphs #7 and 37 for discussion of the typical scheduling for the training pipeline.)

18. WHERE CAN NEW JUDGE ADVOCATES EXPECT TO BE ASSIGNED?
The new judge advocate will normally be assigned to a Naval Legal Service Office (NLSO) or Trial Service Office (TSO). A NLSO is a multi-function command that provides criminal defense representation, legal assistance and claims resolution. A TSO is the Navy equivalent of a District Attorney office and provides prosecution services. Currently, there are thirty-three NLSO and eighteen TSO worldwide, with twelve of those NLSO/TSO located overseas. The offices vary in size from a single attorney over thirty attorneys. Please visit www.jag.navy.mil for a map of the locations for the thirteen NLSO/TSO headquarters.

The vast majority of new judge advocates are assigned within the continental United States. There are entry-level opportunities to serve overseas in the western Pacific including assignments to Guam in the Marinas Islands, Yokosuka in Japan, and Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Initial assignments to European-based commands are rarely available to new officers. The following list is based upon annual averages and is NOT necessarily reflective of billet availability at any particular time of the year for new accessions. Information on each location is available at www.navy.mil or www.jag.navy.mil.

LOCATION AVERAGE BILLETS ANNUALLY
BANGOR, WASHINGTON 01
BREMERTON, WASHINGTON 02
BRUNSWICK, MAINE 01
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA 01
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS 01
EARLE, NEW JERSEY 01
EVERETT, WASHINGTON 01
FT. WORTH, TEXAS 01
GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS 02
GROTON, CONNETICUT 02
GUAM 01
GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI 01
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 03
JAPAN 02
KINGS BAY, GEORGIA 01
LEMOORE, CALIFORNIA 02
MAYPORT, FLORIDA 03
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 01
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA 08
PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII 02
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA 03
PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA 01
ROOSEVELT ROADS, PUERTO RICO 01
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 08
VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 01
WASHINGTON, D.C. 02
WHIDBEY ISLAND, WASHINGTON 01

19. HOW AND WHEN ARE INITIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS MADE?
All commissioned SP participants have the opportunity to state their duty preferences. Students are briefed on the detailing process while at OIS and through the newsletter, “Student Watch.” Approximately two months prior to beginning NJS, the Accessions Detailer initiates a conversation with each new officer about how your preferences match the billets available at the precise moment when that officer will finish the training pipeline discussed in paragraph #7 above and #37 below. The Accessions Detailer normally makes initial contact with each officer in the order in which you accept commission, unless unusual circumstances require an exception to this rule, such as a military co-location necessity.

Every effort is made to assign new officers to a geographical area matching one of your choices, but no guarantees can be made in this regard --- the changing needs of the Navy drives the location of first tour assignments for all of our newest attorneys. While most new judge advocates are assigned to areas for which they have indicated a preference, it is necessary on occasion to assign them to areas they have not listed on a duty preference request, due to the needs of the Navy for an attorney in that location. No such assignment is made before conversation between the officer and the detailer. Usually, new officers have the opportunity to meet their detailer during “Track Day” at OIS.

20. WHO PAYS FOR THE MOVE OF MY FAMILY AND OUR HOUSEHOLD GOODS
TO OUR DUTY ASSIGNMENT(S)?
The Navy (or another service depending on the location of your household goods) will contract with a commercial mover for the movement of your household goods to your first permanent duty station. Both you and your family are reimbursed for travel expenses from home directly to your first duty station. (By contrast, only the officer is entitled to travel expenses to Newport for the training discussed in paragraph #7 above, and household goods are not moved to Newport.) Subsequent moves to other duty stations, including your final move returning you to your home of record upon release from active duty, will also be at the government’s expense.

21. AM I REQUIRED TO LIVE ON-BASE WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY?
No.
Officers are free to live outside of the military base where they are stationed. It is sometimes possible for single officers to find temporary living arrangements on military property, but in general, permanent quarters are available for only officers with families and at their request. The advantages to living in military housing include avoiding the difficulties associated with purchasing and selling a home in keeping with the mobile lifestyle of a naval officer, as discussed in paragraph #22 below, and close proximity to commissary, exchange, medical, dental and recreational facilities. Officers who do not live in base quarters receive a monthly “Basic Housing Allowance, referred to as “BAH”, which is set consistent with average rental levels in the local economy. As discussed in paragraph # 11 above, BAH is non-taxable and averages approximately $1,000 per month. Officers who reside in base quarters do not receive BAH in addition to the benefit of housing provided by the government.

22. HOW LONG SHOULD I ANTICIPATE LIVING AT A PARTICULAR DUTY
STATION?
Orders to duty stations within the United States are for a period of three years. After at least twenty-four months at a particular location, officers may pursue or be offered subsequent assignment consistent with their career needs and those of the naval service. Prospective candidates should be aware that geographic mobility is a key aspect of naval life. Those who welcome the opportunity to see various parts of their country (and the globe) by travelling to different locations on permanent orders approximately every three years will be content. By contrast, those who perceive a need to be stationed at or remain in ONE specific geographic location should consider other opportunities.

23. WHAT ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT LEAD TO A COMMISSION IN THE NAVY JAG CORPS?
Our largest commissioning source is the Student Program (SP), designed for law students and described in our “Student Program Fact Sheet.” Licensed attorneys may apply annually for the “Direct Appointment (DA) Program,” described in that fact sheet. Active duty military officers holding law degrees should contact the Accessions Detailer (see paragraph #40) as our lateral transfer program is currently closed. Active duty naval officers without law degrees who desire transfer to the Navy JAG Corps should read SECNAVINST 1520.7 (series) for a discussion of the Law Education Program (LEP). Naval ROTC program (NROTC) does not have a JAGC commissioning option. Accordingly, pursuit of a commission through NROTC for the principal purpose of qualifying for LEP is not recommended.

24. WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR A COMMISSION IN THE NAVY JAG CORPS?
Applicants for commissions via the Student Program (SP) or Direct Appointment Program (DA) must be over 21 and citizens of the United States. Depending on the program, they must either be or anticipate admission to practice before a Federal Court or the highest court of a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, and commencement of active duty, prior to reaching their 35th birthday. SP applicants must be attending a law school approved by the ABA, and anticipate completion of law degree requirements within three years. Please see the SP or DA Fact Sheets for specific discussion of program requirements. These are available from the Navy JAG website or your local Recruiter. All applicants will have to be medically qualified for military service prior to commissioning in any Navy JAG Corps program.

25. DOES AN APPLICANT NEED ANY PRIOR MILITARY EXPERIENCE?
No.
The vast majority of Navy JAGC applicants have no prior military service. Prior military experience may be a modest or significant advantage for the applicant’s competitiveness for selection, depending upon the nature and quality of service. Applicants with prior military experience are therefore encouraged to provide as much documentation as possible by including DD-214, fitness reports or evaluations and award citations with their application.

26. HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO OBTAIN A COMMISSION IN THE NAVY JAG CORPS?
Competition for commissions is extremely keen. Selection boards competitively screen candidates against the applications of their peers and are limited to a maximum 50% selection rate at each Board. There are no specific keys to selection. All candidates are judged on the whole-person concept and the best-qualified individuals are offered appointments contingent upon successful completion of the commissioning process (i.e. medical examination, background investigation and reference checks). Selection Boards review the following to make recommendations for commissioning: undergraduate academic performance, law school academic performance, LSAT scores, extra-curricular activities while an undergraduate and in law school, legal employment experiences, employment and athletic history while attending undergraduate and law schools, letters of recommendation (if submitted by the candidate), communication abilities, leadership and teamwork potential, motivation and the candidate’s reasons for seeking a commission in the JAG Corps as expressed in a written motivation statement. All applications include a formal appraisal interview by a senior Navy Judge Advocate as discussed in paragraph # 31 below. Candidates are reminded that recommendation for commissioning by a Selection Board is contingent upon successful completion of other vital commissioning requirements, as discussed in paragraph #29 below.

27. IF I APPLY FOR A COMMISSION IN THE NAVY JAG STUDENT PROGRAM, DO I BECOME OBLIGATED IMMEDIATELY UPON ACCEPTANCE OF MY APPLICATION?
No.
Submission of an application does not obligate an individual in any matter. Individuals become obligated only after they have actually taken the oath of office for a commission and signed a Service Agreement. These events will not generally occur until approximately ninety days after a candidate is notified that they have been recommended for commissioning. As discussed in paragraph #29 below, applying to a Selection Board is the first step in the commissioning process.

28. WHEN SHOULD I APPLY FOR THE STUDENT PROGRAM?
The best advice is to apply as soon as you are eligible. Law students are eligible once they have a full year of law school grades. Commissioning as soon as possible during law school yields four advantages:
(1) Avoids the possibility of the program being filled for the student’s year of graduation;
(2) Provides ample time for a subsequent application attempt or resolution of essential prerequisites for commissioning if required;
(3) Creates the advantage of seniority in commissioning date for initial duty assignment (See discussion in paragraph #17 above);
(4) Increases longevity for pay, as discussed below.

There is a distinct financial advantage to commissioning in the Student Program prior to or during your second year of law school. JAG Corps Student Program participants are commissioned as Ensigns in the Naval Reserve and will be in an inactive duty status while pursuing their law studies. They will be assigned under the 1955 designator, which is reserved for line officers under instruction in the JAG Corps Student Program. They accrue longevity (time in service) for pay purposes from the date that they accept their commissions as Ensigns. As a result, an individual who participates in the JAG Corps Student Program for the entire period that s/he attends law school can, upon reporting for extended active duty, receive almost 20% more in basic pay than an individual reporting for extended active duty directly from civilian life. JAG Corps Student Program members may further participate in the Naval Reserve Program while on inactive duty by associating with a drilling JAG Corps Reserve Unit and by completing correspondence courses.

29. WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS?
Selection Boards meet regularly to assess Student Program candidates and annually to assess Direct Appointment candidates. Application materials, instructions and deadlines for each Board are available in the Careers section of our website (www.jag.navy.mil). Candidates forward applications directly to the Navy JAG Corps for competitive screening. If the applicant is recommended for commissioning, a local Naval Recruiting District (NRD) office and Navy Recruiting Command Headquarters, complete the commissioning requirements, including medical examination and security investigation. If those requirements are accomplished satisfactorily, the candidate is then commissioned at the NRD.

30. HOW DO I GET AN APPLICATION FOR THE JAGC STUDENT PROGRAM
OR DIRECT APPOINTMENT PROGRAM?
The Careers section of our website (www.jag.navy.mil) has an “Applications” button. Pressing all the links revealed by that button yields complete application forms, instructions, application deadlines and list of senior appraisers (See paragraph #31 below for discussion.) Alternatively, you may ask your local Navy Recruiter for assistance. To find one, please dial 1-800-USA-NAVY.

31. WHAT IS THE APPRAISAL INTERVIEW THAT IS LISTED IN SECTION V OF THE JAGC APPLICATION?
The appraisal interview is a formal evaluation by a senior Navy Judge Advocate of an individual candidate. Appraisal interviews are the final step in completing an application for an Accessions Selection Board. The candidate requests an interview by making contact with the prospective appraiser’s office, using the contact information on the list of senior appraisers found in the applications section of the Navy JAG website (www.jag.navy.mil). Candidates are strongly encouraged to bring their completed application to the appraisal interview for possible inspection by the appraiser.

The interview is usually held at the appraiser’s business address. However, if a senior appraiser (normally a commander or captain) is visiting your law campus or a job fair, you may be able to accomplish the appraisal interview that way. Candidates should keep in mind that appraisal interviews are individual evaluation sessions by senior military officers. Although attending a group information presentation by a Navy Judge Advocate is useful to prepare for an appraisal interview, such attendance does require nor result in an appraisal by the presenting officer. Rather, the candidate should specifically arrange for an appraisal interview using the Appraiser List or by requesting an appraisal interview after an information presentation, if the officer is also a senior appraiser. Should you require assistance in finding or contacting a senior appraiser near your residence or law school, please call our Accessions Detailer on 901-874-4084.

32. IS A WRITING SAMPLE REQUIRED WITH THE APPLICATION?
No.
All applications for commission include a resume and 200-word motivational statement. The writing ability (and capacity to communicate within the 200-word statement limitation) of all candidates is assessed from the quality of these enclosures. Additional writing samples are not desired and will not be considered by Selection Boards.

33. ARE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION REQUIRED WITH THE APPLICATION?
Yes. Three letters of recommendation should be submitted along with your application. Such letters are more persuasive if the writer knows the applicant well enough to comment on their character and development of attorney skills. The best letters of recommendation will come from a law professor, judge, supervisory attorney, or military officer who knows the candidate and can comment on their potential as an attorney and/or Naval officer.

34. ARE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED WITH THE APPLICATION FOR
COMMISSIONING?
Yes, official transcripts are required. Transcripts that are marked “Issued to Student” will be accepted, provided they are submitted to the recruiter in a sealed envelope from the Career Services Office of the Applicant.

35. WHAT IF I HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPLICATION?
You may seek assistance from a local Navy Recruiter and find the one nearest you by dialing 1-800-USA-NAVY. Alternatively, you may call our Accessions Detailer at 901-874-4084. Please keep in mind that local Navy Recruiters are not JAG Corps Officers. Thus, if your questions are best posed to a Navy Judge Advocate, you should call the Accessions Detailer.

36. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I AM COMMISSIONED IN THE STUDENT PROGRAM?
As soon as the Navy JAGC Accessions Desk receives a copy of your signed “Oath and Acceptance of Office” and your preferred mailing and email addresses, you will be sent a “Welcome Aboard” package and included on the mailing list for our quarterly newsletter “Student Watch.” The Welcome Aboard package provides further explanation and requests additional information required to plan your JAG Corps training pipeline schedule, as discussed in paragraph #37 below. “Student Watch” is an electronic newsletter that provides updated information and inspires regular communication between Student Program participants and the Accessions Detailer’s office. As discussed in paragraphs #7 and #14 above and #37 below, there is no requirement to complete any aspect of naval training prior to completion of your bar examination. Officers may request to attend OIS between their second and third year of law school, but should remember that JAGC seats at a Summer OIS course and the required funding are limited and subject to change.

37. WHAT IS THE TYPICAL SCHEDULING FOR THE NAVY JAG CORPS
TRAINING PIPELINE?
There are three typical patterns, one for graduating Student Program participants whose bar examination results are anticipated before or during the first week of October, another for graduating Student Program participants whose bar examination results are anticipated AFTER the first week of October, and a third for Direct Appointment participants. The only commonality among these patterns is that successful bar examination results are a prerequisite for a prospective Navy Judge Advocate to attend the Basic Lawyer Course (BLC) at NJS, as discussed in paragraph #7 above. Each pattern will be discussed in turn.
Graduating law students whose bar examination results are expected no later than the first week of October will normally attend OIS immediately after their bar examination. (If this appears too insurmountable, the officer should consider attending OIS between their second and third year of law school, if possible.) This is usually followed by approximately one month in an unpaid and uninsured status, prior to the commencement of the October BLC. The course usually starts the second Monday in October. It marks the beginning of the officer’s extended period of active duty, consistent with their service agreement. The gap in employment between completion of OIS and the beginning of NJS is due to the fact that the officer is temporarily activated for naval training at OIS only and this status expires at the end of the six-week course. Because the officer does not have successful bar results, it is not possible to begin extended active duty. Additionally, there is usually insufficient funding to provide training during this gap between OIS and NJS. Thus, the officer should plan accordingly.

Graduating law students whose bar examination results are expected later than the first week of October will normally attend OIS in late October, following their bar examination. This means the officer will be unemployed and uninsured for about three months between the bar examination and commencement of training at OIS. Many officers return to a part-time or temporary job cultivated during law school until military orders call them to active duty for training at OIS. Upon graduation from OIS, usually on the first or second Friday of December, the officer’s temporary active duty for training expires. It is followed by approximately one month in an unpaid and uninsured status, prior to the commencement of the January Basic Lawyer Course. The course usually starts the first Monday in January. It marks the beginning of the officer’s extended period of active duty, consistent with their service agreement. Because most officers will not have successful bar results when OIS begins, it is not possible to begin extended active duty at that time. Additionally, there is usually insufficient funding to provide training in this gap between OIS and NJS. Thus, the officer should plan accordingly.

Direct Appointment (DA) participants, by definition, already have their law licenses, so there is nothing preventing their commencement of extended active duty. Thus, they begin active duty with OIS, and remain continuously on extended active duty until NJS begins. The customary one-month gap between OIS and NJS finds the officer in a temporary assignment. Because there are limitations on the number of JAG Corps officers who may begin extended active duty each fiscal year (which runs from October 1 through September 30), the earliest DA participants usually begin naval training is in the October OIS class described above. Thereafter, they complete OIS either the first or second Friday in December and have a temporary assignment (or at their request, paid leave) until NJS begins on the first Monday in January.

38. ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS IN THE JAG CORPS STUDENT PROGRAM TO HAVE SUMMER EMPLOYMENT?

Please contact the JAG Corps Accessions Detailer for the most up to date information on the possibility of summer employment, as a participant of the Student Program.

39. DOES THE NAVY JAG CORPS HAVE A SUMMER INTERN PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN SELECTED FOR A COMMISSION VIA THE STUDENT PROGRAM?

Yes.
The availability and duration of internships are subject to annual funding and is not usually finalized until approximately April 15 of each year. Participants are assigned to Navy legal offices and perform the normal duties of a law clerk, receiving pay at the GS-6 or GS-7 level. Travel to the office for internship is a personal expense.
To apply, please complete the Internship Application form (available on the Navy JAG website) and include the required enclosures:

(a) cover letter explaining why the internship is desired,
(b) resume,
(c) law school transcript, and
(d) LSAT verification

In addition, we have a number of volunteer internship and externship opportunities that are available throughout any of our Legal Offices worldwide and interested applicants should submit the same application as for a paid internship and note on the application, in the provided space, if they would also like to be considered for a volunteer internship or externship as well as for a paid internship.

Send the complete application to the attention of Ms. Jana Rittman at the following address: Commander, Navy Personnel Command (NPC 4416E), 5720 Integrity Drive, Millington, TN 38055-4416. Ms. Rittman may be reached by phone at (901) 874-4087, facsimile (901) 874-2679. The application deadline is the first Friday in February of each year for the upcoming summer.

40. WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
For additional information on Navy opportunities, www.navy.mil and www.navyjobs.com are two starting points for further research.

To speak with a Navy representative or to find the nearest Navy Recruiting District office, please call
1-800-USA-NAVY. In Alaska, call collect 272-9133. In Hawaii, dial 536-3039.

To obtain information about the Navy JAG Corps, please visit our website, www.jag.navy.mil. To speak with an active duty JAG Corps officer, please call the Accessions Detailer at (901) 874-4084.

Finally, your law school Career Services office should have current information on the Navy JAG Corps, including when a Navy Judge Advocate is scheduled to visit your law school campus.

How to Apply

FAQs