The JAG Corps is the oldest law firm in the US, providing legal services to Army Reserve and active duty Army personnel. Prospective candidates must have a law degree and be under 42 years old. Training includes military orientation, academic training, and leadership courses. The JAG Corps has been involved in many important cases and originated the Uniform Military Code of Justice.
George Washington chartered the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps in 1775, making it the oldest law firm in the United States. A JAG attorney provides legal services and counsel to Army Reserve and active duty Army personnel in the United States and abroad. Areas of practice include prosecution, international law, and military law. To become an Army Reserve JAG, an individual must be a graduate of an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school and must be a member in good standing of the bar association in any state.
The JAG Corps, which has more than 3,400 attorneys, is the legal arm of the military and can be a starting point for careers in public service. An Army Reserve JAG serves his country as an officer. A prospective JAG may choose to serve part-time in the Army Reserve or full-time as an active duty officer. Those who join the JAG Corps enter the military at an advanced pay grade and are eligible for promotion within 12 to 12 months of service.
Historically, the JAG Corps has been at the forefront of many important cases around the world. Some of these cases include the trial of General Benedict Arnold, the indictment of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, and the trial of Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germany. JAG attorneys were also the originators of the Uniform Military Code of Justice (UCMJ), which enforces consistent standards of conduct across all branches of the military.
To be eligible for a position as an Army Reserve JAG, a prospective candidate must demonstrate leadership, physical fitness, commitment to the Army, and professionalism. The military examines a potential candidate’s physical and mental fitness, as well as his moral standing and character. A bachelor’s degree from an ABA-approved law school and admission to the bar of any state is also required. Army Reserve JAG candidates must be under the age of 42 when entering active duty. If selected, the Army is asking for a four-year commitment to JAG Corps.
There is training involved when a person joins the Army Reserve JAG. The first stage is at Fort Lee, Virginia where JAG officers take a 12-day military orientation course that educates them in the basic areas of military life. Officers then progress to the Charlottesville phase, where they undergo more than 10 weeks of academic training at the University of Virginia, covering the organization and function of the JAG Corps, as well as an overview of Army law. The final phase is a six-week leadership course at Fort Benning, Georgia. All new Army officers take this course, which includes foot marches, combat training, and rifle shooting.
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