- Joined
- Jan 6, 2011
- Messages
- 1,580
I personally believe that the best route to a JAG career is to do ROTC first (in any branch of service), separate after you have fullfilled your end of the bargain and your service obligation is complete, then meet with the JAG recruiter in law school when he or she visits (and they do visit, usually every spring), and then re-enter service (any branch) upon graduation from law school (if that is what you still want). Although there are many different philosophies about this, my reasons for this perspective are as follows:
1. Going this route will give you the opportunity to explore life for a few years, at a salary that is initially not that much higher than many newly minted lawyers (so you really aren't missing out on much). As you might expect, many lawyers attend law school right after college and then spend the rest of their life wondering whether they should have chosen a different career. Conversely, those attending law school after their service obligation are generally more informed about the variety of career choices available to them and thus are more likely to be attending law school for the right reasons. Much about applying to law school is about demonstrating that you possess a selfless commitment toward the public good (in contrast to the ROTC/SA application process, where the candidate's leadership qualities are emphasized). If you've already served in the military, you've demonstrated your commitment toward that end.
2. Depending on the law school, I'd say somewhere on the order of 25% of the 1L class, if not more, took time off to work before going on to law school (although this statistic may be different now as new college grads have opted to stay in school instead of taking on a brutal job market). These "older" students are typically the students who are much more mature and end up busting the grading curve because they really study in law school (recent college grads tend to think they're still in college and learn too late that law school is a MUCH different animal in terms of academics). The law school admissions folks know this, and this is why the "older" students (especially former military officers) tend to receive a bump in their application standing.
3. You would be amazed how much you learn in the military that is directly transferrable to the practice of law (yes, even in private practice). Over the course of your legal career, you will find yourself drawing upon the things you learned in the military like, say, "how to execute an ambush" and use that to your client's advantage in, say, a deposition or a dispute over document discovery. The big lessons of leadership and your ability to make tough and reasoned decisions are absolutely critical to the successful practice of law. This is why our nation's elite "Wall Street" law firms are LITTERED with many former military officers who were not JAGs (in my experience hiring lawyers at my former law firm, we viewed prior service as a military officer as a very favorable credential). There are also many, many government lawyers who work for government agencies like, say, the Department of Navy, Transportation, Labor, etc., who are former military officers. I think the government also values former military experience (they recognize that former military officers understand the meaning of the word "responsibility"). And if you harbor ANY interest in being a law enforcement officer with, say, the FBI, the absolute "Killer Credential Combo" on a resume is the former military officer with a law degree!
4. Finally, if you serve your initial service obligation and conclude that you're burnt out by too many deployments to the sandbox, you've got other alternatives. And if it is government service that drives you, just know that you will retain the option of serving our country in a variety of ways equally compelling to that of the military (e.g., public defender, prosecutor, judge or judicial law clerk, government lawyer on the staff of an administrative agency, etc.). But whether you decide to re-enter the active-duty military or start a career in private practice, you can rest assured that you've done your part and that our Nation thanks you!
I have to say that the best JAG officer that I ever met in my days on active duty was a young Captain with a Ranger Tab (he earned the Tab before entering law school and returning to active-duty service as a JAG officer). So when it comes to law, don't be too concerned about whether you should attend law school immediately after college, as you may actually benefit by spending a year crawling around in the mud and jumping out of airplanes (yes, that is a LOT of fun!).
TPG, congrats on your DD's incredibly wise choice of careers!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must be extremely proud of her, and justifiably so!!!
Pima, truly excellent post re determination. Determination is key.
1. Going this route will give you the opportunity to explore life for a few years, at a salary that is initially not that much higher than many newly minted lawyers (so you really aren't missing out on much). As you might expect, many lawyers attend law school right after college and then spend the rest of their life wondering whether they should have chosen a different career. Conversely, those attending law school after their service obligation are generally more informed about the variety of career choices available to them and thus are more likely to be attending law school for the right reasons. Much about applying to law school is about demonstrating that you possess a selfless commitment toward the public good (in contrast to the ROTC/SA application process, where the candidate's leadership qualities are emphasized). If you've already served in the military, you've demonstrated your commitment toward that end.
2. Depending on the law school, I'd say somewhere on the order of 25% of the 1L class, if not more, took time off to work before going on to law school (although this statistic may be different now as new college grads have opted to stay in school instead of taking on a brutal job market). These "older" students are typically the students who are much more mature and end up busting the grading curve because they really study in law school (recent college grads tend to think they're still in college and learn too late that law school is a MUCH different animal in terms of academics). The law school admissions folks know this, and this is why the "older" students (especially former military officers) tend to receive a bump in their application standing.
3. You would be amazed how much you learn in the military that is directly transferrable to the practice of law (yes, even in private practice). Over the course of your legal career, you will find yourself drawing upon the things you learned in the military like, say, "how to execute an ambush" and use that to your client's advantage in, say, a deposition or a dispute over document discovery. The big lessons of leadership and your ability to make tough and reasoned decisions are absolutely critical to the successful practice of law. This is why our nation's elite "Wall Street" law firms are LITTERED with many former military officers who were not JAGs (in my experience hiring lawyers at my former law firm, we viewed prior service as a military officer as a very favorable credential). There are also many, many government lawyers who work for government agencies like, say, the Department of Navy, Transportation, Labor, etc., who are former military officers. I think the government also values former military experience (they recognize that former military officers understand the meaning of the word "responsibility"). And if you harbor ANY interest in being a law enforcement officer with, say, the FBI, the absolute "Killer Credential Combo" on a resume is the former military officer with a law degree!
4. Finally, if you serve your initial service obligation and conclude that you're burnt out by too many deployments to the sandbox, you've got other alternatives. And if it is government service that drives you, just know that you will retain the option of serving our country in a variety of ways equally compelling to that of the military (e.g., public defender, prosecutor, judge or judicial law clerk, government lawyer on the staff of an administrative agency, etc.). But whether you decide to re-enter the active-duty military or start a career in private practice, you can rest assured that you've done your part and that our Nation thanks you!
I have to say that the best JAG officer that I ever met in my days on active duty was a young Captain with a Ranger Tab (he earned the Tab before entering law school and returning to active-duty service as a JAG officer). So when it comes to law, don't be too concerned about whether you should attend law school immediately after college, as you may actually benefit by spending a year crawling around in the mud and jumping out of airplanes (yes, that is a LOT of fun!).
TPG, congrats on your DD's incredibly wise choice of careers!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must be extremely proud of her, and justifiably so!!!
Pima, truly excellent post re determination. Determination is key.
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