Listen to the Judge Advocate Career Profile
Job Title: Judge Advocate
AKA: Judge Advocate General (JAG), JAG Officer, Military Attorney
What is a/an Judge Advocate?
A Judge Advocate is a commissioned officer who serves in the military as a lawyer. Judge Advocates serve as prosecutors, defense counsel, presiding judges, advocates and advisors.
What does a/an Judge Advocate do?
If you’ve ever watched the television show JAG starring David James Eliott as Navy JAG Officer Harmon Rabb, then you’ve witnessed the work of a Judge Advocate. While the show was a bit dramatic, it offered a great peek into life inside the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. Each week Commander Rabb and his partner Marine JAG Officer Sarah MacKenzie travel the globe to come to the aid of accused soldiers or court-martial criminal ones. It all made for great television drama. In reality, a JAG Officer is a practicing attorney or judge whose responsibilities cover a wide-range of practices that includes military law, criminal prosecution, international law and legal assistance-both in the U.S. and abroad.
JAG attorneys may also specialize in Criminal Law, Legal Assistance, Civil Litigation, Environmental Law, Admiralty Law, Administrative Law, Labor Law, International Law, Operational Law, Teaching, Medical Law, Maritime Law and Contract Law.
The responsibilities of a JAG Attorney include:
- Managing and assigning branch Officers
- Supervising training of personnel in legal functions
- Developing and executing services in many law fields
- Supplying legal advice and services to military personnel and their families
- Performing other defense-related duties
- Serving as prosecutors, defense counsel and presiding judges at courts-martial, appellate advocates and jurists, and advisors to convening authorities
- Managing and implementing formal investigations, litigation reports and courts of inquiry
- Teaching other military lawyers in the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Army
Judge Advocates may work in combat zones, on bases and aboard ships during wartime and peacetime. JAG Officers may be asked to help plan and prepare for combat and missions. They advise line officers and negotiate international agreements, and represent and advise military personnel stationed in combat zones, on military bases and elsewhere. However, JAG Officers are not actively involved in combat; they will not be asked to fight wars.
Just like the television show, JAG Officers can travel far and wide, hopping aboard military aircraft, humvees and submarines to bring the law of the land to men and women of the military wherever they may be–from Virginia to Asia to the Middle East and beyond. In fact, JAG Officers must be able to travel extensively and be comfortable relocating relatively often (as often as every 3 years). Where possible, new JAG Officers will be assigned based on their geographical preferences. New JAG Officers can probably forget about Italy as their first assignment, but seniority brings with it more opportunity.
Judge Advocates rack up lots of legal experience, especially litigation and advocacy experience. This is a major draw for upstart lawyers who would rather not spend their early years writing briefs and sweating billable hours. Judge Advocates need not hunt down work; the military will hand them plenty. The number of military legal providers has not increased while the number of service personnel and their legal problems has risen dramatically due to the war in the Middle East, and the legal issues that arise when men and women are deployed for extended periods in countries with fragile, volatile governments.
Judge Advocates generally work from 7:30am to 4:30pm each day, and have federal holidays off. The military encourages them to use their leisure, or liberty, time to maintain their physical fitness and spend time with their families. This built-in sort of work/life balance is one of the selling points used to recruit new JAG Officers.
JAG Officers are required to maintain their commission for eight years from the date of their appointment into the JAG Corp as a 2500 designated officer. This includes a four-year active duty obligation; the remaining years may be served in inactive status. There are no annual drill or Reserve duty requirements.
For whom might a Judge Advocate work?
JAG Officers are employed by the U.S. military, as part-time civilian or reserve or full-time active duty officers. JAG Officers may work for the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines or Navy, and ultimately for the men and women who serve. They may be stationed aboard ships and aircraft carriers, legal services offices and on military bases in the U.S., the western Pacific and Europe–anywhere there is military personnel.
How much does a Judge Advocate earn?
Active duty Judge Advocates earn between $53,000 and $60,000 per year to start. Pay varies based on when a commission is accepted and where the Judge Advocate will be stationed. Within one year, a Judge Advocate can be promoted and then earn between $60,000 and $77,000 per year. Additionally, Judge Advocates receive tax-free housing and subsistence allowances ($1,000 per month on average), free medical and dental care, life insurance, foreign duty and travel opportunities, discounted groceries at military exchanges and commissaries, eligibility for postgraduate education and a three-phase $60,000 bonus.
Who might love this job?
- Anyone who loves the military and wants to serve his/her country
- Anyone who loves the law and wants to jump into the thick of practicing it
- Anyone who loves to travel and doesn’t mind doing a lot of it
- Anyone who loves a challenge
- Anyone who would love to skip the stint in the D.A. or public defenders office, or time spent at the bottom of the totem pole in a large corporate firm, or the ambulance chasing it takes to build your own practice
To break in you’ll need…
Each branch of the military offers multiple ways to enter the JAG Corps. Prospective JAG Officers may join the JAG Corps via Student Programs (1st-3rd year law school and college programs), Internships, Reserves, Direct Appointments, Intra- and Inter- service Transfers, Recall to Active Duty, Civilian Attorney hiring and Funded Legal Education Programs.
Generally eligibility requirements for JAG Officers include:
- Be mentally and physically fit
- Be of good moral standing and character
- Pass security clearance and citizenship requirements
- Have graduated from an ABA-approved law school
- Have been admitted to the bar of either a federal court or the highest court of any state in the United States or the District of Columbia
- Applicants must be able to serve 20 years of active commissioned service before reaching the age of 62. Thus, for most applicants, the age requirement is be under the age of 42 at the time of entry onto active duty.
However, Selection Boards may consider any or all of the following:
- Résumé
- Copies of law school and undergraduate transcripts
- LSAT scores
- Proof of license to practice law (Direct Appointment applicants only)
- Letters of recommendation (optional)
- Extracurricular activities while attending undergraduate or law school
- Legal and other employment experience
- Communication abilities (verbal and written)
- Leadership potential
- Motivation and reasons for seeking commission
Selection Boards judge candidates based on the “whole-person concept”, whereby they consider all of the above information in an attempt to select the best-qualified candidates. Selected candidates are offered appointments contingent upon successful completion of the commissioning process (i.e. medical examination, background investigation and reference checks). On average, 20%-25% of applicants are recommended for commission.
Required Training
JAG Corps in all of the branches of the military have basically the same process. Application, Selection, Commission, then Officer School and courses in military law at the JAG School. Then, it’s right into active duty.
Officers in the Army JAG Corps attend the 14-week JAG Officer Basic Course (OBC). The course is divided into two phases: a four-week “Military Orientation Phase” at Fort Lee, VA, (training includes physical fitness, weapons familiarization and deployment skills) and a ten-week “Military Law Phase” taught at The Judge Advocate General’s School (”The JAG School”) in Charlottesville, VA (training includes research and communication skills and are introduced to formats and resources used in military practice). The JAG School is the only ABA-approved law school in all of the military services.
Navy JAG Officers attend a 5-week Officer Indoctrination School (OIS) in Newport, RI to learn the basics (marching, physical fitness, Navy customs and traditions and leadership training), followed by the 9-week Basic Lawyer Course at the Naval Justice School where they learn civil and military law and trial advocacy skills. Finally, Navy JAG officers must attend Basic Operational Law Training (BOLT).
What about this career doesn’t suck?
The Judge Advocate career scored well on our WorkYourWay Index, earning points for its “Good Works” factor, challenging, interesting and varied work, good benefits and solid salary, travel and access to further education. This career lost points for the sometimes scary working conditions in combat zones during wartime, the high travel requirement, and, of course, the 8-year commission requirement required to be an active duty JAG Officer (We gave back a few points because JAG Corps offer opportunities to work part-time as reserve officers and full- or part- time as civilian attorneys). So…the WorkYourWay score is…58%!
Learn more about JAG Corp Programs!
- U.S. Air Force JAG Corps programs. Download applications and forms.
- Apply for Army JAG Corps (Reserve/Part-Time or Active Duty/Full-Time).
- Learn more about the Navy JAG Corps, then Apply for Navy JAG Corps
- Learn about the Coast Guard Direct Commission Lawyer Program (JAG) and apply.
- Learn more about the Marines JAG Corps.
- Test Drive a JAG Career by participating in the JAG Summer Internship Program. Click here to apply.
To find current openings…
USAJobs.gov - Find jobs working for the military as a civilian attorney
See the JAG Program links above to apply for commissioned officer positions
Need more information?
Contact a Coast Guard Recruiter
Contact a Marine JAG Recruiter
Navy JAG Manual - The official JAG Handbook
Army JAG Corps - Learn more about the Army JAG Corps
U.S. Army JAG University - Learn more about the Army JAG School, the only ABA-Approved military law school
Air Force JAG Brochure - Check out the Air Force’s JAG recruiting brochure
Profile of Major Robert Vasquez, JAG Attorney - Read what a real JAG officer has to say about his career
Profile of Captain Kay Wakatake, JAG Medical Attorney - Read what a real JAG Attorney has to say about her career practicing Medical Law
Watch the JAG television show on DVD!
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