Military Law Forum

[bouakedojo]

Hey all, just checking in here. 1L at WashU.

Would like to do JAG and am currently applying to GLP in the Air Force and also Marine PLC.

I'm kicking my butt trying to muster a competitive PFT score for the Marines.

Anyways, good luck fellow applicants and thanks to all current service members and selects for helping us hopefuls out.

[bouakedojo]

Question - I'm considering going the JAG route in the Marines. Does anyone know if any schools have LRAP programs that JAG lawyers qualify for? Isn't there a federal government loan repayment program too? Do Jag lawyers qualify for this?

For Marines, there is none, according to the OSO I've talked to.

[Rocktober2007]

Anyone who has gone through the Concorde/DodMERB medical process: do you remember how long it takes to hear whether you're qualified/need a remedial once Concorde sends your information to DodMERB?

Thanks

[Esquire]

Anyone who has gone through the Concorde/DodMERB medical process: do you remember how long it takes to hear whether you're qualified/need a remedial once Concorde sends your information to DodMERB?

Thanks

Shouldn't take more than two weeks from completion of your medical exams. At least, it didn't for me.

[kbatik]

Jess,

I am currently going through the DodMERB process also. It was four days from DodMERB's receipt of the exams from Concorde to the mailing of the "qualified" status letter.

Anyone who has gone through the Concorde/DodMERB medical process: do you remember how long it takes to hear whether you're qualified/need a remedial once Concorde sends your information to DodMERB?

Thanks

[shock259]

Odd question, but has anyone looked at the FBI for post-JAG opportunities? I was browsing their site yesterday. They have a number of different specialty areas you must apply to when you apply to be an agent. Law is one of them, along with fields like Accounting, Finance, Biology, etc.

I have no idea on the nature of the work, but I'm guessing you would use your degree at least tangentially if they only are taking lawyers for that niche. I'm guessing you wouldn't be writing memos or filing papers down at the courthouse, but maybe doing some advising mixed with whatever else? Again, this is pure speculation, but seems possible.

And it looks like military experience is looked very favorably upon.

[Rocky Estoppel]

Anyone know if Navy JAG has a limit on letters of recommendation? I see that there is a minimum of 3 but I can't find a limit/maximum. I have 6 I can use but I'm not sure if that would be overkill.

[Groundie]

Does anyone know how long it typically takes for the Army JAG Board to issue its selections? I was shocked that the Air Force only took 2 weeks to make its decisions (not that we will hear any time soon). What has been the historical wait time?

And then once you are selected for any branch, if you are so lucky, how long does it typically take to get through all the red tape and medical tests before you can go to OTS - assuming you don't have to wait for the bar results?

My understanding is that the Army releases its results in January or February next year from this upcoming Board in November. I have heard that in the past it was sometimes as early as the last week of December. If you don't have to wait for bar results, you could probably go as soon as they have an opening, which could be anywhere from a few months to a year. I believe there are certain standard times JAOBC classes usually start. I will have to wait on bar results, so assuming I am selected, I won't find out until November if I passed the bar and if I can go in January or February to the Army JAOBC.

I'm probably not applying to the Air Force anymore because of my GPA, so I can't help you there, although in the past when I've been rejected it's taken a couple months to get the letter in the mail.

[CFC_Essien]

Got the AF letter of doom. Not selected. Hope some of us were luckier than I. Any advice on writing my request for reconsideration?

Thanks.

[D-ROCCA]

This has probably been answered before, but does anyone have experience going through law school while fulfilling their Reserve obligations? Is it doable, and if so how difficult is it?
Thanks.

[2xHarvard]

I went from IRR to - what? real Reserve? - for 2L and 3L years. It was def doable and I think I would have had time for it as a 1L if I had curtailed some other activities a bit. It's only 1 weekend a month, after all. If you can get yourself into a Reserve legal unit, all the better for the networking opportunities.

[blink]

Thanks to all the regular contributors on this thread, it has been a huge help. I heard that it is possible for one of the branches (don't know which, if any) to pay a student's way through law school (much like ROTC for undergrad). Is this true?

[2xHarvard]

Thanks to all the regular contributors on this thread, it has been a huge help. I heard that it is possible for one of the branches (don't know which, if any) to pay a student's way through law school (much like ROTC for undergrad). Is this true?

The Army will let you do ROTC in law school (I wanted to...was too old); delay your active start date from college ROTC in order to attend law school ("ed delay"); go to law school after becoming an officer by another means ("funded legal education program"); and will pay for law school for your prior service thanks to the GI Bill. So there are at least 4 routes for you to get the military to pay for your law school, correct as of a few years ago at any rate.

[Patrick Bateman]

Thanks to all the regular contributors on this thread, it has been a huge help. I heard that it is possible for one of the branches (don't know which, if any) to pay a student's way through law school (much like ROTC for undergrad). Is this true?

For USAF:

The Law School ROTC programs, Once Year College Program and Graduate Law Program, are not scholarship ROTC programs like you find in undergrad. You are entitled to the stipend ROTC cadets receive and other perks however.

The only program that pays for law school is the Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP). This is only for current active duty officers in a different AFSC. This is highly, highly competitive and I think there were maybe 2-3 officers selected for this in the past few years.

You can read up on all the JAG programs under the "Apply" tab here:
--LinkRemoved--

[evilxs]

For the Army when should you first apply for Active Duty? 2L, 3L?

This semester I am 1 year out from graduating (December graduate 2012). I asked the recruiter during my interview and he said he would get back to me. I haven't heard back, and the deadline to apply is looming.

Anyone have experience with this?

[2xHarvard]

For the Army when should you first apply for Active Duty? 2L, 3L?

This semester I am 1 year out from graduating (December graduate 2012). I asked the recruiter during my interview and he said he would get back to me. I haven't heard back, and the deadline to apply is looming.

Anyone have experience with this?

There is a selection board in the fall and one in the spring (usually - but not this spring as it turns out). So, if you are graduating in December, this fall is the last deadline to apply in this fiscal year but I assume there will be another board next fall. Accessions take a while so apply early, especially since there's no spring board this academic year. Results come out a couple of months after the deadline in my experience. You have to have your bar results and be enrolled as an attorney in your state before you can start training, so there is no need to rush. http://www.jagcnet.army.mil - and go to the Join JAG (Recruiting) link on the left side.

[evilxs]

I am completely ready to apply by tomorrow. I have all of my letters and everything is squared away. Only benefits to waiting is maybe a GPA boost by then. I got everything squared away to apply for the internship which has the same requirements, but didn't know if I should apply for the board too.

[2xHarvard]

Please see edit above - no spring 2012 board.

[kaesch]

I am completely ready to apply by tomorrow. I have all of my letters and everything is squared away. Only benefits to waiting is maybe a GPA boost by then. I got everything squared away to apply for the internship which has the same requirements, but didn't know if I should apply for the board too.

Just so you know, the Army is not having a spring selection board. And you can not apply to active duty until your 3L year. If you are a 2L, then apply for the internship now and apply for active duty next fall. You should hear regarding the internship around the beginning of January.

[evilxs]

All good points. I am one credit hour right now away from being a 3L. I'm one of those odd December graduates. (I did 2 summers of law school in addition to semester work.) I had better call the JAG office for official advice.

[shepdawg]

Does anyone have experience with the Department of the Navy Office of General Counsel?

[Groundie]

All good points. I am one credit hour right now away from being a 3L. I'm one of those odd December graduates. (I did 2 summers of law school in addition to semester work.) I had better call the JAG office for official advice.

Out of curiosity, does this meet the ABA's six-semester requirement? My law school specifically says this is not possible, even with summer coursework.

However, I see ABA guidelines from a quick google search:

Interpretation 304-4:
A law school may permit students to graduate in fewer than six academic semesters by earning not more than one semester, or one quarter of residence credit for taking summer courses, if (i) the student meets the class hour requirements of this Standard; (ii) the student meets the employment limitations of this Standard; and (iii) the summer instructional programs in which the student enrolls total no fewer than 65 semester days, or 44 quarter days, over two or more summers during which classes are regularly scheduled in the law school. (August 1996; July 2000)

[evilxs]

Sure it is possible. I will have gone three summers and 3 falls and 2 springs. If that makes sense. I had to do a special deceleration of intent to graduate early and they monitor my credit hours and in which semesters they can occur.

[kaesch]

Good luck to all Army Active Duty and Intern applicants! The Board begins today! According to my JARO sources we should get our results in the beginning of January. Maybe we can all keep our fingers crossed that we will know by the holidays.

[Groundie]

Sure it is possible. I will have gone three summers and 3 falls and 2 springs. If that makes sense. I had to do a special deceleration of intent to graduate early and they monitor my credit hours and in which semesters they can occur.

Yeah, I saw the ABA interpretation and saw that my school just does not have that option. Good luck to ya, whenever you apply!

Edit: Good luck to everyone who applied for the Army board!