CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
I have found my career as a Judge Advocate General officer to be an extremely rewarding experience professionally. JAGs routinely participate in nearly every facet of the Air Force mission, including developing and acquiring weapons systems and ensuring availability of airspace and ranges where those systems are tested and operated. They also consult with commanders about how those systems are used in armed conflict and assist in the day-to-day running of military installations worldwide. As a judge advocate, I have never questioned if my daily duties support the Air Force's mission of projecting air and space power.
If you have ever been interested in joining the legal profession and serving your country as a JAG, the Air Force's Judge Advocate General Corps gives company-grade officers two excellent opportunities each March to join their ranks.
The programs, the Funded Legal Education Program and the Excess Leave Program, allow active-duty officers to pursue law degrees without leaving the Air Force. Once completing law school and passing a state bar examination, these members serve in the JAG Corps. The programs round out the JAG Corps by supplying a cadre of uniquely experienced officers who combine law school educations with operational Air Force time. As a result, the Air Force gets mature legal advisors with a unique understanding of Air Force missions.
The Funded Legal Education Program is a paid legal-studies program. Program applicants must be active-duty captains with between two and six years of active-duty service as of the first day of law school. Applicants selected for the FLEP program continue to draw base pay and allowances, and their educational expenses, such as tuition and a book allowance, are paid for by the Air Force.
The Excess Leave Program is an unpaid legal-studies program. Program applicants must have two to 10 years active-duty service before entering law school. They must also be captains with less than three years of time in grade as of the first day of law school. While ELP students are responsible for all educational expenses and do not receive any base pay or allowances while in school, they do accrue time for promotion and retirement purposes while in the program.
Students accepted into both the FLEP and ELP programs are required to perform legal internships during the summers of their first two years of law school. FLEP and ELP students both receive base pay, allowances, and temporary duty expenses during these internships.
Applicants must complete all Air Force application forms and apply to a law school that has been accredited by the American Bar Association to be considered for the program. However, acceptance into a law school is not required at time of application. Applicants must also receive their Law School Admissions Test results and complete a staff judge advocate interview by March 1, 2008, to be considered for the program this year. Both programs are extremely competitive, with the overall selection rate below 20 percent.
If you believe you have what it takes to mentally breakdown a crusty O-6 on the witness stand, please review the qualifications for these programs as detailed in Air Force Instruction 51-101. Additional questions about the programs can be directed to any judge advocate by calling 963-5502.