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I'm a freshman in college, and really interested in Navy JAG. What do they do there (other than litigation and military law), and what can I do to prepare for it (mentally and physically). Also, do they have a lot of Navy JAG's stationed in Washington, D.C.?

I don't want to try and answer the first few questions right now, as I don't exactly have time. But I can answer that last one. The answer is no, no there are not. Norfolk has quite a few, but DC is not a huge Navy JAG station.

Bosque wrote:I don't want to try and answer the first few questions right now, as I don't exactly have time. But I can answer that last one. The answer is no, no there are not. Norfolk has quite a few, but DC is not a huge Navy JAG station.

That's pretty unusual. I've heard that there have been some stationed at the Washington Navy Yard. I guess it's because it's JAG headquarters that I thought that a lot of JA's would be stationed there.

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kaftka juice wrote:be prepared for norfolk. seriously (it's the world's largest naval station, so a very possible future location). visit if you're considering it--i personally cannot wait to get out of the area.

Is it a nice area, or not?

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TheLegalBeagle wrote:I'm a freshman in college, and really interested in Navy JAG. What do they do there (other than litigation and military law), and what can I do to prepare for it (mentally and physically). Also, do they have a lot of Navy JAG's stationed in Washington, D.C.?

The answer is, you'll do a little of everything and "it depends." Early on, when you're first starting out, you'll do legal assistance (personal advising - wills, divorces, landlord-tenant), maybe some admin boards. As you move forward, you may get into some trial work, but a lot will depend on the needs of the service. They may need you to do admin law work...or maybe you can swing dealing with military justice or international law. The thing to remember is that while you may have some input, ultimately you don't get to "choose" your path - the needs of the Navy come first. Your job is to show up and do the job they ask you to do, and do it looking fit and with a smile.

For Navy JAG, the physical requirements come up front at Officer Development School (ODS), and are not as extreme as what is required of line officers at OCS. Once you get past officer school, you'll be required to do PT (how you do PT will vary by command) and you'll have to pass occasional fitness tests. Not heavy - certainly not like Marine JAG.

As to Washington, D.C., there are JAGs, both at the Navy Yard and at the Pentagon, but like the poster above said, there are certainly places with larger concentrations, such as Norfolk, Jacksonville, or San Diego. Still, billets in DC are available. From what I have heard from other Navy JAGs, spots in DC for young JAGs are possible, but the better billets in DC require some seniority.