Military Law Forum

[bouakedojo]

Last week I was selected to be a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. I'll be heading to Quantico this summer for 10 weeks. I'm a 1L at a T2.

I'll answer any questions anyone might have about the Marine Corps application process.

I thought the boards were in March/April?

I'm going to be applying next fall as a 2L (along with several other branches).

I'd be interested to know your PFT score and your class rank, if you don't mind. If you don't want to say publicly, could you pm me?

Thanks.

[leedleed]

Last week I was selected to be a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. I'll be heading to Quantico this summer for 10 weeks. I'm a 1L at a T2.

I'll answer any questions anyone might have about the Marine Corps application process.

Can you please tell us the whole application process? I wasn't able to find any info online. Thanks!

[AriGoldButNicer]

I met a jag who said from my school i will have a great shot... Id love to do jag but id the pay really only 40k? As muchbasni dont want to sell my soul 160k vs 40k is too big of a lifestyle difference as i wouldn't be able to have a family unless my wife made more than me.

[Patrick Bateman]

I met a jag who said from my school i will have a great shot... Id love to do jag but id the pay really only 40k? As muchbasni dont want to sell my soul 160k vs 40k is too big of a lifestyle difference as i wouldn't be able to have a family unless my wife made more than me.

A simple Google search can yield troves of information: --LinkRemoved--

You can also look up things like "capitalization," "spelling," and "punctuation."

[gilgamesh23]

I met a jag who said from my school i will have a great shot... Id love to do jag but id the pay really only 40k? As muchbasni dont want to sell my soul 160k vs 40k is too big of a lifestyle difference as i wouldn't be able to have a family unless my wife made more than me.

technically you only get paid 40k, but then you get like 20kish (depending on your location) in living expenses, plus another 20k a year for paying off student loans (total of 60k over three years). Plus, the 40k is going to go up pretty quickly as you advance in rank. It's not 160k a year, but it's not 40k either.

[AriGoldButNicer]

I met a jag who said from my school i will have a great shot... Id love to do jag but id the pay really only 40k? As muchbasni dont want to sell my soul 160k vs 40k is too big of a lifestyle difference as i wouldn't be able to have a family unless my wife made more than me.

technically you only get paid 40k, but then you get like 20kish (depending on your location) in living expenses, plus another 20k a year for paying off student loans (total of 60k over three years). Plus, the 40k is going to go up pretty quickly as you advance in rank. It's not 160k a year, but it's not 40k either.

Thankss-those are sweet benefits.What can you make if you're good at your job but not amazing?

Also, are lay offs possible?

Any lateral to big law if u fall out of love with it?

[wannabejag]

I met a jag who said from my school i will have a great shot... Id love to do jag but id the pay really only 40k? As muchbasni dont want to sell my soul 160k vs 40k is too big of a lifestyle difference as i wouldn't be able to have a family unless my wife made more than me.

technically you only get paid 40k, but then you get like 20kish (depending on your location) in living expenses, plus another 20k a year for paying off student loans (total of 60k over three years). Plus, the 40k is going to go up pretty quickly as you advance in rank. It's not 160k a year, but it's not 40k either.

Thankss-those are sweet benefits.What can you make if you're good at your job but not amazing?

Also, are lay offs possible?

Any lateral to big law if u fall out of love with it?

Are you retarded?

[DD352]

Last week I was selected to be a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. I'll be heading to Quantico this summer for 10 weeks. I'm a 1L at a T2.

I'll answer any questions anyone might have about the Marine Corps application process.

Can you please tell us the whole application process? I wasn't able to find any info online. Thanks!

Well... I'm not going to spell out the whole process for you. You'll need to do some research on your own, but first thing first, you need to speak with a Marine Officer Selection Officer. I started my application while I was a senior in college, so I got a lot of the stuff out of the way shortly before I graduated. You need to meet with an OSO, submit an absurd amount of paperwork, chase down your doctors/dentists/registrars and get them to fill forms out. It's a 1+ year process.

You'll get sent to MEPS where you'll get a physical screening. Then you need to run PFTs. I was in great shape while in college, and I've slipped a bit now with law school, but I'm still strong and fast. You need to make a lot of sacrifices. Your diet, exercise, and time management should be priorities at all times.

[karmakmsa]

Woah, I was selected for 2L Army JAG! But they uh, got my school wrong. Does anyone know when the people who are selected are formally notified?

[shock259]

Last week I was selected to be a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. I'll be heading to Quantico this summer for 10 weeks. I'm a 1L at a T2.

I'll answer any questions anyone might have about the Marine Corps application process.

Congrats!

What were your PFT scores? Grades (or did they not even get a chance to look at your first semester ones)? Do you have any sense of what may have helped you get picked up? Do you have any sense of how competitive the process is with looming budget cuts? How have you been training for OCS?

I'm applying to the March/April board. My PT is coming together, but I still have some work to do to get into the 285 range. Starting to work through the rest of the application now.

[DD352]

Last week I was selected to be a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. I'll be heading to Quantico this summer for 10 weeks. I'm a 1L at a T2.

I'll answer any questions anyone might have about the Marine Corps application process.

Congrats!

What were your PFT scores? Grades (or did they not even get a chance to look at your first semester ones)? Do you have any sense of what may have helped you get picked up? Do you have any sense of how competitive the process is with looming budget cuts? How have you been training for OCS?

I'm applying to the March/April board. My PT is coming together, but I still have some work to do to get into the 285 range. Starting to work through the rest of the application now.

269 on a PFT from the summer (20/85/20:30). That was the only one they had on file for me when they submitted my package. I didn't get selected in the fall. I can easily get in the mid/high 280's though. They didn't have my fall semester grades, but I just got them and I'm in the top quartile somewhere. They did have my undergrad grades, which was a 3.55 in engineering. I think the engineering major helped me, in addition to the work experience I had before coming to law school. I've had internships engineering and big law. I also volunteer a lot with mock trial for high school and college kids. Competition is going to get worse, I would think. My OSO told me that they are not taking 2L's. I don't know if that is just for this summer, or if that is for the foreseeable future. That can't be a good sign though. I guess I got extremely lucky.

I've been trying my best to fit a work-out schedule in with class. I didn't lift at all fall semester, partly because I had an AC joint sprain. But now I'm better and I'm starting to put weight and mass back on. Pullups every day. Never running and abs on the same day, so I usually alternate. I used to think I had superior genetics because I never had any health problems, but that just isn't the truth anymore. I'm trying to take it easy and not aggravate any injuries I've had within the past year (AC joint, shin splints, hip flexor strains). Trying to reach a target weight of around 185, but it's hard to eat and even harder to work out now in the second semester.

Get your paperwork done as quickly as possible. If your OSO tells you he needs something, you get started on it as soon as you get the papers, or you get the ball rolling immediately.

[Fiction]

edit

[northerniowan]

Last week I was selected to be a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. I'll be heading to Quantico this summer for 10 weeks. I'm a 1L at a T2.

I'll answer any questions anyone might have about the Marine Corps application process.

Can you please tell us the whole application process? I wasn't able to find any info online. Thanks!

Well... I'm not going to spell out the whole process for you. You'll need to do some research on your own, but first thing first, you need to speak with a Marine Officer Selection Officer. I started my application while I was a senior in college, so I got a lot of the stuff out of the way shortly before I graduated. You need to meet with an OSO, submit an absurd amount of paperwork, chase down your doctors/dentists/registrars and get them to fill forms out. It's a 1+ year process.

You'll get sent to MEPS where you'll get a physical screening. Then you need to run PFTs. I was in great shape while in college, and I've slipped a bit now with law school, but I'm still strong and fast. You need to make a lot of sacrifices. Your diet, exercise, and time management should be priorities at all times.

While the process can take a year, you can get it done a lot quicker. I'm going before the April board and have everything done except running the official PFT. I had contacted my OSO in mid December. But then again I didn't have anything to do over Christmas break except work on this lol.

[shock259]

I'm gunning for the April board too and I only contacted my OSO in early January. It's definitely possible, but you'll want to get on it now. The bigger issue may be the PFT stuff. Unless you are in fantastic shape (running), you'll need months to get your run times competitive.

[CassiusClay]

Thank you all for all your input and advice, very helpful information. I have combed this thread (pages 1-70 & 90-113) so hopefully I haven't missed it but I am seeking advice on internships. I have mediocre grades and I am really trying to build my resume to set myself apart when I do apply, to show my interest in JAG. I applied to the AF and Navy internship but I know competition is stiff. Is it possible to contact specific base legal division and inquire about internships or possibly a veteran's affair legal department? Any info would be great!

Thanks again

[NAOBERJU]

For anyone who was accepted for the Army 2L internship, have you received the paperwork yet?

[miami..]

Nope nothing in the mail yet, someone told me they were still preparing the letters last Thursday so hopefully sometime this week we'll see something. If not early next week maybe.

[ZeroDay]

Today I received a letter from JARO about my status as an alternate for AD. They asked me to send a statement of intent by February 15; the statement of intent is just a signed form through which I'll confirm I want to remain an alternate. I've heard that primary selectees received the same deadline by which to confirm they want to move forward in the process. Also, JARO's letter states that they will begin taking alternates (if needed) on February 28. Again I find myself with a month that can't pass quickly enough.

Just preserving this here to give next year's applicants some additional insight.

[us.army.jag.hopeful]

Today I received a letter from JARO about my status as an alternate for AD. They asked me to send a statement of intent by February 15; the statement of intent is just a signed form through which I'll confirm I want to remain an alternate. I've heard that primary selectees received the same deadline by which to confirm they want to move forward in the process. Also, JARO's letter states that they will begin taking alternates (if needed) on February 28. Again I find myself with a month that can't pass quickly enough.

Just preserving this here to give next year's applicants some additional insight.

Hey ZeroDay, did you get the letter in the mail or email? I'm also an alternate, but did not receive anything yet. Thanks! Good Luck!

[BlinkNC]

Applying next fall to the USN JAG. So far I have:

Top 5%
Good letters of Rec (USN Captain in JAG, Crim Law Prof)

What else should I look at getting solidified before the application? Internship is not possible this summer, sadly.

[Paichka]

Applying next fall to the USN JAG. So far I have:

Top 5%
Good letters of Rec (USN Captain in JAG, Crim Law Prof)

What else should I look at getting solidified before the application? Internship is not possible this summer, sadly.

Are you near a military base, particularly a Navy one? I don't know how amenable Navy judges are to this, but one thing that might be helpful is to try to intern during the school year. I did it for credit my 2L year (with an Army trial judge), and several of my friends have as well. That may demonstrate a commitment to serve, and in any case, you could get a strong LOR out of it. Just a thought. Obviously if you aren't in DC or near a military base, that won't be an option.

[southernboy]

For those of you interested in Marine Corps JAG, I went through OCS during the summer after my 1L year and commissioned as a 2nd Lt. I will currently be doing a JAG internship this coming summer. If anyone has questions about the PLC law program, just ask away. Since I haven't graduated from law school yet, I cant answer many questions about life as a Marine JAG. However, I can answer any questions pertaining to selection criteria, OCS, and summer internships

[Patrick Bateman]

Thank you all for all your input and advice, very helpful information. I have combed this thread (pages 1-70 & 90-113) so hopefully I haven't missed it but I am seeking advice on internships. I have mediocre grades and I am really trying to build my resume to set myself apart when I do apply, to show my interest in JAG. I applied to the AF and Navy internship but I know competition is stiff. Is it possible to contact specific base legal division and inquire about internships or possibly a veteran's affair legal department? Any info would be great!

Thanks again

I have to ask, any reason for skipping pages 71-89?

I know I posted on this exact issue fairly recently (probably within the last 10 pages). If you are not selected for the AF Internship Program you can absolutely contact a AFB Legal Office and inquire about them taking you on as a volunteer intern. I saw this done a few times at my previous assignment. Most Legal Offices will have a JAG that handles all the recruiting duties - I would contact him/her and go from there.

[txlaw]

has anyone heard back from the AF about summer internships yet? or know when we might get a decision? I know the posting hasn't closed yet, but I thought maybe they would have already made their decisions about the January 27th group. (...basically I'm just trying to figure out if not hearing anything means I've been rejected)

[holajerin]

has anyone heard back from the AF about summer internships yet? or know when we might get a decision? I know the posting hasn't closed yet, but I thought maybe they would have already made their decisions about the January 27th group. (...basically I'm just trying to figure out if not hearing anything means I've been rejected)

Hey txlaw, I spoke with an AF JAGC representative at a career fair recently, and it sounds like they won't be making any decisions until some time in March. So, we've all got a long wait ahead.

Also, for anyone who applied for a Navy internship, it sounds like decisions should be out by the end of Feb.