<p>Anyone have any experience with the JAG program or have any insight on how the program works? I am reluctant to talk to any at the Navy, as I don't want to be bombarded with recruitment material/calls/emails etc. If anyone has information on what the inactive duty consists of or the application process and would like to share, I would be very appreciative.</p>
<p>Go to this website -
Navy</a> JAG :: Careers Site</p>
<p>From what I have heard the vast majority of JAG officers are direct commission - that is they have completed Law School and commissioned as a professional with the rank of Lt. (O-3).</p>
<p>I had one law school classmate who became a navy JAG. Basically, since you will be an officer but it's not a combat position, they send you to a special school where you learn how to salute and stuff -- so-called "fork and knife school" Then you go to "Naval Justice," where you learn to be a JAG. There are limited slots at naval justice so sometime you have to wait.</p>
<p>Then my classmate was assigned -- I forget where, but basically she is like a criminal defense attorney. She defends sailors, most of whom have been charged with drunk driving or spousal abuse. Being female limits her career a bit but she enjoys it.</p>
<p>Another friend of mine went to law school and decided to become a JAG. However, he decided to become a Marine JAG. Apparently all Marine officers have to be ready and able to lead men into battle, because he went to a bona fide training program -- crawling through the mud, etc., and not fork and knife school. While waiting for his slot at naval justice to open up, he joined some other unit and ended up in Okinawa. When his commission expired, the Marines basically told him he had to stay for a couple more years, and he ended up doing a tour of duty in Iraq. He never did become a JAG.</p>
<p>So I would advise you to be a bit careful, especially if you are a man. The military really needs manpower right now. Once you sign, you are in and you can apparently be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan or whereever. Which you may not mind, but you need to keep it in mind.</p>
<p>I work with a retired JAG Colonel who taught at the JAG school (did his entire legal career in the military, retired, and eventually took a corporate job for another 10 years). He is disappointed with his military pension and the fact that his earnings were so low through peak earning years, and complains that it takes too long to get medical care through the VA. We're all very envious that he gets even a small pension (which is more than most corporate folks these days), plus the fact that he has guaranteed medical benefits in retirement. He said they get reassigned every 2 years or so, so you do get to do a lot of traveling...when he retired, he picked our location to settle down. He said that during his service they were required to be physically fit and combat ready, and that they did fitness before work every day (so did the military doctors!). </p>
<p>Go ahead and do the research. Talk to them and research everything. If you can't handle the bombardment and say "no thanks" if that's your decision, you're in the wrong field. You may not find yourself as bombarded as you think, since it's competitive - there are more law students who are interested in JAG than JAG positions.</p>
<p>I was wondering if they pay for law school. The website isn't the most informative, and I want to hold off before contacting them so I don't get bombarded with calls/emails/mail etc;.
What I got out of the website is that you can go to any law school and apply the first year. If accepted, you are in the reserves until you graduate. So, do they pay you as a reservist or foot the bill for law school?</p>