Military Law Forum

[ubersaurusrex]

AF JAG: 1) Could anyone speak to "Constructive Service Credit" and what you have seen qualify as "special experiences or unique qualifications"

2) How exactly does the constructive service credit work walking in.

I have no prior military knowledge, but have some significant civilian legal experience.

I haven't seen anything qualify as special experience. For reference, I had another JAG in my class that had over a decade of experience between big law and federal employment and he started at the same rank as all the other JAGs straight out of law school. As far as how the constructive credit works walking in, you will initially commission as a 1st Lieutenant and then promote to Captain ~ 6 months after you commission. In comparison, a regular officer in the Air Force would spend 2 years as a 2nd Lieutenant and then 2 more years as a 1st Lieutenant before being promoted to Captain.

[psyched413]

I am looking to become a JAG in the future, but I had a couple of questions. Can both law school students and practicing professionals both apply? If this is the case, how does a student compete with someone who has years of experience? Additionally, what would be the single most important factor in the application process? Grades, school, experiences, extracurricular, military experience...

[Patrick Bateman]

I am looking to become a JAG in the future, but I had a couple of questions. Can both law school students and practicing professionals both apply? If this is the case, how does a student compete with someone who has years of experience? Additionally, what would be the single most important factor in the application process? Grades, school, experiences, extracurricular, military experience...

These are basic questions that can be answered by reviewing this thread and doing some basic Google-ing of the various service's JAG websites.

[evilxs]

AF JAG: 1) Could anyone speak to "Constructive Service Credit" and what you have seen qualify as "special experiences or unique qualifications"

2) How exactly does the constructive service credit work walking in.

I have no prior military knowledge, but have some significant civilian legal experience.

I haven't seen anything qualify as special experience. For reference, I had another JAG in my class that had over a decade of experience between big law and federal employment and he started at the same rank as all the other JAGs straight out of law school. As far as how the constructive credit works walking in, you will initially commission as a 1st Lieutenant and then promote to Captain ~ 6 months after you commission. In comparison, a regular officer in the Air Force would spend 2 years as a 2nd Lieutenant and then 2 more years as a 1st Lieutenant before being promoted to Captain.

So glad I am Army. There is a huge pay difference between 2LT and CPT. (3287 vs 4383 - what AF who started the same time I did are making, vs Army right now on base pay)

[ubersaurusrex]

So glad I am Army. There is a huge pay difference between 2LT and CPT. (3287 vs 4383 - what AF who started the same time I did are making, vs Army right now on base pay)

I thought Army JAG officers were on a similar timeline. Don't you start as an O-2, and then promote to O-3 in about 6 months? The longer timeline I described above is for regular officers coming into the Air Force.

[Anonymous User]

So glad I am Army. There is a huge pay difference between 2LT and CPT. (3287 vs 4383 - what AF who started the same time I did are making, vs Army right now on base pay)

I thought Army JAG officers were on a similar timeline. Don't you start as an O-2, and then promote to O-3 in about 6 months? The longer timeline I described above is for regular officers coming into the Air Force.

Air Force and Army JAG both start at O2 and promote in six months to O3.

[Patrick Bateman]

So glad I am Army. There is a huge pay difference between 2LT and CPT. (3287 vs 4383 - what AF who started the same time I did are making, vs Army right now on base pay)

I thought Army JAG officers were on a similar timeline. Don't you start as an O-2, and then promote to O-3 in about 6 months? The longer timeline I described above is for regular officers coming into the Air Force.

Air Force and Army JAG both start at O2 and promote in six months to O3.

That is 100% correct. I have no idea what evilxs was trying to get at.

[mjberry1]

I am applying to an NG JAG slot. I have passed the bar and been admitted in my state, so I have my certificate of good standing. The application requirements provide under Tab 11 that, in addition to the "Statement From the Clerk of the Highest Court," all applicants must submit a "Bar Examination Memorandum." "The certification of bar examination memo is a new requirement that must be completed for all applicants. The memo must be dated within three months of the JARO board."
Problem is I have no idea what this "memo" is or who/where to get it from. Does anyone here have any idea what this refers to?

[Anonymous User]

I was rejected from Air Force JAG. Any tips on how to improve/when to reapply/what to do?

[Anonymous User]

AF JAG here (anon because I'm punching out in 2021). I'm planning on transferring to the ANG or Reserves after 6+ years on active duty.

My question is regarding transferring my GI Bill benefits to a dependent (I have received the "you are eligible to transfer" email). Have any ANG/Reservists here successfully transferred their GI Bill by doing the six years on active duty BUT signing up for the additional 4 year commitment after transferring to the ANG/Reserves? I have two anecdotal datapoints of IMA reservists doing it, but no ANG yet. Just doing my due diligence!

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have any details on what DCC and TJAGLCS looks like right now? I'm only really familiar with the Army but information from all branches is welcome.

Obviously masks are mandatory. But are people still getting roommates at Benning? What's it like to workout if gyms are closed? I think some previous commenters mentioned that some classes are "remote." Generally, what is life like? I'd assume there are less freedoms and movement is more restricted.

I noticed the Army Medical Department put out an updated packing list for their DCC. They now recommend bringing an exercise mat as well as "compact exercise equipment" (e.g. resistance bands).

[Anonymous User]

Has anybody either received or been denied a medical waiver by Army JARO yet?

[Patrick Bateman]

I am applying to an NG JAG slot. I have passed the bar and been admitted in my state, so I have my certificate of good standing. The application requirements provide under Tab 11 that, in addition to the "Statement From the Clerk of the Highest Court," all applicants must submit a "Bar Examination Memorandum." "The certification of bar examination memo is a new requirement that must be completed for all applicants. The memo must be dated within three months of the JARO board."
Problem is I have no idea what this "memo" is or who/where to get it from. Does anyone here have any idea what this refers to?

My best guess it is referring to a certified letter of good standing from the clerk of your state supreme court.
Obviously this will vary state by state but for me you can submit a request online along with a $10 fee and then the clerk's office mails you the official letter.

[Patrick Bateman]

AF JAG here (anon because I'm punching out in 2021). I'm planning on transferring to the ANG or Reserves after 6+ years on active duty.

My question is regarding transferring my GI Bill benefits to a dependent (I have received the "you are eligible to transfer" email). Have any ANG/Reservists here successfully transferred their GI Bill by doing the six years on active duty BUT signing up for the additional 4 year commitment after transferring to the ANG/Reserves? I have two anecdotal datapoints of IMA reservists doing it, but no ANG yet. Just doing my due diligence!

Not ANG but I did it in the Reserve. I transferred the GI Bil to my spouse in my final month of active duty and then fulfilled the service commitment while a Reservist (no difference between IMA and Cat A for these purposes).

Looking around on the VA and other websites, I see nothing to suggest the Guard is somehow excluded. Based on this, I would argue you would be fine fulfilling your service commitment in the ANG:
https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsh ... bility.pdf

[Anonymous User]

AF JAG here (anon because I'm punching out in 2021). I'm planning on transferring to the ANG or Reserves after 6+ years on active duty.

My question is regarding transferring my GI Bill benefits to a dependent (I have received the "you are eligible to transfer" email). Have any ANG/Reservists here successfully transferred their GI Bill by doing the six years on active duty BUT signing up for the additional 4 year commitment after transferring to the ANG/Reserves? I have two anecdotal datapoints of IMA reservists doing it, but no ANG yet. Just doing my due diligence!

Not ANG but I did it in the Reserve. I transferred the GI Bil to my spouse in my final month of active duty and then fulfilled the service commitment while a Reservist (no difference between IMA and Cat A for these purposes).

Looking around on the VA and other websites, I see nothing to suggest the Guard is somehow excluded. Based on this, I would argue you would be fine fulfilling your service commitment in the ANG:
https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsh ... bility.pdf

Greatly appreciate the datapoint. As best I can tell the "Selected Reserve" includes actively drilling ANG and IMA reservists, among some others, so the transfer should be applicable to ANG as well.

[Anonymous User]

I was rejected from Air Force JAG. Any tips on how to improve/when to reapply/what to do?

Read through this thread. Your question has likely been asked and answered several times.

But to answer your question (and not be a total knob), I'll tell you what I learned from talking to people before I interviewed and got selected. The SJA interview is by far the most important part. Show up early. Look sharp. Be nice to everyone you meet. Be confident. Have examples in mind for every question.

Second, a lot of the evaluation comes down to leadership and desire to serve. Don't fake it. If you don't have leadership positions on your resume, you should definitely have volunteer work or something else that shows you're capable of lifting up those around you.

Your desire to serve should be more than "well my grandpa was in the military …." You also don't have to claim your biggest goal in life has been to join the JAG Corps and serve for 40 years. That's fake. You can't possibly have a good idea what the JAG Corps is like as an applicant. Instead, talk about experiences you've had and why those experiences make you confident that you would provide value and enjoy serving as a JAG.

To be honest, I thought I had a very poor chance of being selected. I think three things worked in my favor: (1) honesty; (2) talking to several actual JAGs before the interview and mentioning these conversations; and (3) litigation experience. My position statement was pretty much, "I'm not sure I want to be a JAG for life, but obviously I hope I love it. Either way, I know from my prior experience doing A, B, and C that I would enjoy doing X, Y, and Z in the JAG Corps." I think the SJA appreciated the honesty. Apart from that, just follow directions on the application to a T and make sure you don't have any glaring disqualifiers (criminal record, unwilling to move, terrible GPA, etc.).

[howell]

AF JAG here (anon because I'm punching out in 2021). I'm planning on transferring to the ANG or Reserves after 6+ years on active duty.

My question is regarding transferring my GI Bill benefits to a dependent (I have received the "you are eligible to transfer" email). Have any ANG/Reservists here successfully transferred their GI Bill by doing the six years on active duty BUT signing up for the additional 4 year commitment after transferring to the ANG/Reserves? I have two anecdotal datapoints of IMA reservists doing it, but no ANG yet. Just doing my due diligence!

Not ANG but I did it in the Reserve. I transferred the GI Bil to my spouse in my final month of active duty and then fulfilled the service commitment while a Reservist (no difference between IMA and Cat A for these purposes).

Looking around on the VA and other websites, I see nothing to suggest the Guard is somehow excluded. Based on this, I would argue you would be fine fulfilling your service commitment in the ANG:
https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsh ... bility.pdf

Please sit down, because this will shock you, but AFPC told me this was not possible. They said that whatever component you are in when you transfer a portion of the GI Bill is the component you have to serve the 4 years in.

In my case, I did the 6 years on active duty, switched to the ANG, and then transferred part of my GI Bill, incurring a 4 year commitment in the ANG.

[Anonymous User]

Hi all,

Current AFROTC junior here. I'm looking to go the educational delay JAG route but am a little nervous since it's pretty well known that it's very very hard to get a JAG slot right out of ROTC. Can anyone here shed a little more light on how competitive it is/how many graduating cadets per year get a JAG slot? Esp with COVID and everything, will numbers be altered?

Thanks!! Any answer is much appreciated.

Bonus question: space law? USSF JAGs coming up in our near future??

[Anonymous User]

AF JAG here (anon because I'm punching out in 2021). I'm planning on transferring to the ANG or Reserves after 6+ years on active duty.

My question is regarding transferring my GI Bill benefits to a dependent (I have received the "you are eligible to transfer" email). Have any ANG/Reservists here successfully transferred their GI Bill by doing the six years on active duty BUT signing up for the additional 4 year commitment after transferring to the ANG/Reserves? I have two anecdotal datapoints of IMA reservists doing it, but no ANG yet. Just doing my due diligence!

Not ANG but I did it in the Reserve. I transferred the GI Bil to my spouse in my final month of active duty and then fulfilled the service commitment while a Reservist (no difference between IMA and Cat A for these purposes).

Looking around on the VA and other websites, I see nothing to suggest the Guard is somehow excluded. Based on this, I would argue you would be fine fulfilling your service commitment in the ANG:
https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsh ... bility.pdf

Please sit down, because this will shock you, but AFPC told me this was not possible. They said that whatever component you are in when you transfer a portion of the GI Bill is the component you have to serve the 4 years in.

In my case, I did the 6 years on active duty, switched to the ANG, and then transferred part of my GI Bill, incurring a 4 year commitment in the ANG.

Awesome, thanks so much for the datapoint. If you recall, did initiating the GI Bill transfer in milconnect & signing the SOU automatically kick off your 4 year extension, or did you have to complete a separate process to obtain the 4 years retainability in the ANG?

[Patrick Bateman]

Hi all,

Current AFROTC junior here. I'm looking to go the educational delay JAG route but am a little nervous since it's pretty well known that it's very very hard to get a JAG slot right out of ROTC. Can anyone here shed a little more light on how competitive it is/how many graduating cadets per year get a JAG slot? Esp with COVID and everything, will numbers be altered?

Thanks!! Any answer is much appreciated.

Bonus question: space law? USSF JAGs coming up in our near future??

I've never had a handle on how many applicants there are for Ed-Day or the FLEP/ELP programs, only that you just see a handful of selects each year. I am not aware of accessions stats being available to the greater JAG community but I've never really looked that hard.

Space Law is a thing, we even send folks to get their LLM in it. I would not expect any USSF JAGs anytime soon - the only folks that are now USSF are the actual space operator types. All the other support type functions, including JAG, remain Air Force.

[howell]

Awesome, thanks so much for the datapoint. If you recall, did initiating the GI Bill transfer in milconnect & signing the SOU automatically kick off your 4 year extension, or did you have to complete a separate process to obtain the 4 years retainability in the ANG?

I kicked the process off in Milconnect, but I had to turn in a form to an education officer in my Guard unit. Everything ended up getting backdated perfectly based on the Milconnect transfer, but it took a couple of months. Get used to that for everything, but I guess ymmv in each state.

[u603756]

For anyone who has done the Air Force Jag application, did any of your LORers get called?

During my interview the SJA implied that she would call my LORers. Which for an undisclosed reason, could be a problem for one of them.

[howell]

For anyone who has done the Air Force Jag application, did any of your LORers get called?

During my interview the SJA implied that she would call my LORers. Which for an undisclosed reason, could be a problem for one of them.

If the system hasn't changed in the past year or two, when an SJA is completing her report of an applicant online, she has to check a box saying she either did a social media search on the applicant or checked some of their references. My guess is most people do a social media check, because it's a lot easier.

I am aware of an SJA who checked a couple of an applicant's references, because the letters seemed very similar, were perfunctory, and weren't actually signed. But my guess is it's rare for references to be checked, but not unheard of.

[Anonymous User]

For anyone who has done the Air Force Jag application, did any of your LORers get called?

During my interview the SJA implied that she would call my LORers. Which for an undisclosed reason, could be a problem for one of them.

If the system hasn't changed in the past year or two, when an SJA is completing her report of an applicant online, she has to check a box saying she either did a social media search on the applicant or checked some of their references. My guess is most people do a social media check, because it's a lot easier.

I am aware of an SJA who checked a couple of an applicant's references, because the letters seemed very similar, were perfunctory, and weren't actually signed. But my guess is it's rare for references to be checked, but not unheard of.

I've applied for AFJAG 5 times. The first time I know they called one of my LORers because she told me. I haven't heard anything else. Doesn't mean they weren't called. But they are called sometimes.

[Asilvaesq]

I'm wondering about current deployment times for JAG in Army/AF Reserve or Guard. Anyone with any current information would be appreciated