Law School

[globalview2]

What opportunities, if any, are there for law school after USAFA or USMA? Can you go directly after graduation or does one have to serve time first? Any info on this would be appreciated!

 

[patentesq]

What opportunities, if any, are there for law school after USAFA or USMA? Can you go directly after graduation or does one have to serve time first? Any info on this would be appreciated!

You can do both. The former (Educational Delay) is probably more competitive than the latter (using GI Bill after service). I think most grads go after their service obligation is complete, because the service obligation is longer if you delay. Some USMA classes have upwards of 10% of the class who ultimately become lawyers.

 

[Jcleppe]

From what I have read of the revisions to the Post 9/11 GI Bill there have been changes regarding officers that graduate from SA's or with ROTC scholarships.

Officers that graduate from either of the above have a service obligation required to qualify for the GI Bil. The service obligation that is required from the SA or ROTC Scholarship does not count.

SA 5 years AD
Scholarship 4years AD

If the officer has an additional 2 years AD after the initial obligation then they qualify for 80% of the GI Bill.

f) Officers (ROTC/Academy Grads)

"Officers who graduated from service academies or received ROTC scholarships do qualify for Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33). However, time spent satisfying the ROTC/Service Academy active duty obligation does not count toward the active duty service necessary to qualify for the benefits."

"These requirements are typically 5 years for academies and 4 years for ROTC grads. For example if an ROTC grad served 6 years after graduating college, their first 4 years would not count but their subsequent 2 years of service would qualify that officer for 80% of the Post-9/11 GI Bill."

"If an ROTC graduate becomes a reserve officer and then is activated on federal orders it is possible that this active duty service would qualify for Post-9/11 eligibility."

 

[Pima]

The AF has 2 paths for law school. One will guarantee you will go to JAG upon passing the bar, the other path does not. Upon graduating and passing the bar you must compete with everyone for a JAG slot.

The 1st path requires you to serve 2 yrs AD and again you must compete for it, the competition is insane. I believe the acceptance rate is @10% overall. You will be paid as an AF officer, and they will pay tuition too. You must show proof that you have been accepted by a law school.

The 2nd path you pay for everything yourself, and basically you spend your summers in the AD world. That is the only time you will be paid a salary. As a sr. in college or the AFA you must submit a request for ED and illustrate that you have been accepted by a law school.

I am not sure about commitment owed regarding when the clock actually starts for either paths.

 

[SamAca10]

From what I have read of the revisions to the Post 9/11 GI Bill there have been changes regarding officers that graduate from SA's or with ROTC scholarships.

Officers that graduate from either of the above have a service obligation required to qualify for the GI Bil. The service obligation that is required from the SA or ROTC Scholarship does not count.

SA 5 years AD
Scholarship 4years AD

If the officer has an additional 2 years AD after the initial obligation then they qualify for 80% of the GI Bill.

Luckily for us that only applies to USMA, USNA and USAFA due to an oversight by Congress:

When the new GI Bill was enacted in June 2008, Congress provided that for those who graduated from the DoD service academies the time spent fulfilling their post-graduation service requirement (currently the five years immediately following graduation) could not be counted as active duty time for purposes of establishing eligibility for benefits under the new GI Bill. They would become eligible for education benefits at the 100% level the day after the eighth anniversary of their graduation.

For reasons we can only speculate about, this provision did not apply to Coast Guard Academy graduates. That meant that immediately after graduation they would begin accruing active duty service time which would count for purposes of establishing eligible for benefits under the new GI Bill. They would become eligible for education benefits at the 100% level the day after the third anniversary of their graduation.

One of the provisions of the so-called ‘‘Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010’’ (signed by the president on 04 January 2011) made the provision described above for DoD service academy graduates applicable to Coast Guard Academy graduates as well.

However, the provision applies only to cadets who enter the academy on and after 04 January 2011. Put another way, this change in the law applies only to members of the Coast Guard Academy class of 2015 and those following it.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/capemay/education/gibill-33a.asp

 

[goldenlion]

FLEP

Google FLEP (Funded Legal Education Program), and you will find more info. I think all the services have this program to some degree.

Here is a short synopsis that I found off of one website. It seems accurate from what I remember:

"The FLEP is a paid legal studies program for active-duty Air Force commissioned officers. The FLEP is an assignment action. Participants receive full pay, allowances, and tuition. FLEP applicants must have between two and six years active duty service (enlisted or commissioned) and must be in the pay grade O-3 or below as of the day they begin law school. The FLEP is subject to tuition limitations. Positions may be limited due to overall funding availability. The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) establishes the tuition limit. Academic Year 2010 was set at approximately $16,000 per year, but this amount may change year to year. "