Toss up in my mind. My general answer is that you are going to need some level of work experience to set yourself apart for a direct commission into the Reserve (at least the USAF) - if you think about it from the Pentagon's perspective, what can you bring to the table compared to someone coming off of active duty that already has 4/6/8/etc years of directly relevant JAG experience? You have good credentials, which will help some.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Apr 23, 2022 1:23 pmHi all. Was wondering if anybody might be able to offer some advice. I am currently a 2L at a T30 school. My GPA is around median, and I am on LR and moot court. I have done a JAG internship, and will be at a V5 firm this summer. After graduation, I will be doing a federal clerkship and hope to return to my firm. However, it has always been my dream to be a JAG Officer, and I want to join the JAG Reserves. I suppose my question is how competitive my application would be, and whether it would be smarter for me to apply for a slot this fall and try to commission immediately after my clerkship, or to work a 1-2 years after my clerkship and apply for a commission then? My main concern is whether my JAG duties would make it difficult for me to learn the ropes at my firm. I also would probably prefer Army/Air Force over the other branches.
That said, V5 associate experience is not is exactly as 1:1 marketable to be a JAG in the same way as being an AUSA might be. We just have a very different client with different requirements. So YMMV in terms of what a few years of work experience will bring to that table in terms of looking more competitive. Your practice area may also change the optics on this quite a bit (litigation v. transactional, etc).
That all said, I am also an advocate of the Michael Scott/Wayne Gretzky philosophy is missing 100% of the shots you don't take.
Your concerns about even minimum reserve time having an impact on your law firm progression while a junior associate is warranted. 3-4 weeks away to get your 51 points each year when you are at a V5 is not insignificant. It really is a matter of balancing priorities - reserve service is pretty much zero sum, advancing at your civilian job will generally come at the expense of the Reserve and vice versa. You'll have to pick which Caesar upon which you will render your time at that particular chapter in your professional and personal life.
So, long way of saying, who knows the right answer. Probably getting 24-36 months of experience under your belt at the firm will make you a stronger applicant because you can at least point to XYZ in terms of an acquired skill set. But if you think the timing makes sense to put in your hat earlier than that, go for it - the worst they can say is no and you can then evaluate if it makes sense to immediately reapply or further develop your resume.