I am also a first-term Captain. I'm less salty. Here's my .02:
1. The idea you get work/life harmony or balance or whatever you want to call it in the AF JAG corps is not true. You’ll be working 60-80 hour weeks consistently and be pushing 100 during trials. Don’t plan on being able to take lunch or do basic self care appointments during the week.
This is completely dependent on the base, your leadership, and most importantly your role in the office. The gen law attorneys in my office work 8-4:30, take 1/2 hr lunches, and do not bring work home. I cannot say the same over in MJ. We stay in the office later, do not take lunches, and routinely bring work home on weeknights. I'd say 50-60 hr work weeks are the norm. Do they ramp up around trials? Yes. But I have never encountered an 80-100 hr work week and think this Captain is being a bit dramatic. I understand that the JAG Corps does pitch "work-life balance" but ultimately you're still an attorney and our balance is much, much better here than in firm life.
2. You’ll lose most or all of your cases. We can’t get convictions on sex assaults in most instances and that’s the majority of what you try. Be prepared to work your butt off and then see the dirtbag at the next all-call with a smug smile on his face.
Not wrong! We do a lot of 120 cases with less than stellar evidence and lose a lot of them. Arguing from the other side though- maybe we shouldn't be taking these to trial in the first place! My take is that trial experience is trial experience, win or lose.
Also, most JAGs are brand new attorneys with no courtroom experience. Assuming you fit this criteria, did you really think you were going to win every case? C'mon now.
3. Have 5k+ plus in savings when you commission because you’re not getting paid correctly for several months and no one in finance cares.
Again, not completely wrong. Have a couple thousand tucked away. You most likely won't get paid the full amount while in OTS. I got like $1200 paychecks throughout OTS and received back pay on my first or second paycheck after PCSing to my base.
4. Don’t think you’re working any kind of substantive operational law until you’ve done at least 6 years
Correct. I'm not sure who told him that he'd be in the CAOC immediately but they're wrong. If anything, I'm shocked he thought he'd be working in ops law in the same assignment he graduated OTS and JASOC. Gotta walk before you run.
5. Don’t expect much mentoring. Outside of the instructors at JASOC (who I think do a solid job). Be willing to learn everything on your own.
This is completely what you make of it. JASOC instructors are fantastic mentors but developing mentors is proactive and requires work- just like in the civ world. "Be willing to learn everything on your own." Now you're just being petty lol. If your paralegals aren't showing you the ropes, it might be you.
6. Get ready to do a lot of data entry and document drafting you’d normally have a law clerk or paralegal do.
Yes, I do way more admin work than I want to do. Again, this is true. But I also get to train at CATM, brief CC's, and get paid to exercise. Take the good with the bad, it's not a normal lawyer gig.
7. You’ll 100% feel proud every morning putting on the uniform knowing you’re serving honorably and doing your duty.
Facts.
Ultimately, nothing in their post is unfounded. Like all jobs, there are definitely negatives to being a JAG. I just suspect that we caught this Captain on a particularly bad day.