The Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps provides legal services to the US Air Force, including criminal defense and prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. JAG attorneys are often active duty members and attend law school at Air Force expense. The corps also employs paralegals and administrative support personnel and has a training school at Maxwell Air Force Base. The JAG serves as an appellate court for courts-martial and conducts noncriminal hearings.
The Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) is a unit of the United States Air Force responsible for providing a wide variety of legal services to that branch of the United States military. Attorneys working for the Air Force Defense Attorney prosecute and defend active duty Air Force members who have been charged with criminal conduct or other less serious infractions of military law. Air Force Judge Advocate staff members also provide civil law services both in the United States and internationally at bases outside the country.
In 1947, the Air Force was created as a separate branch of the US military. Before that it had been an Army unit. In 1948, shortly after the creation of the Air Force, Congress also created the Office of the Judge Advocate General. The JAG was initially considered an Air Force department reporting to the Military Branch Chief of Staff. In 2003, the JAG became a separate unit known as the corps and was renamed the Judge Advocate General Corps.
In criminal matters, Air Force JAG attorneys prosecute and defend cases under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Justice Code governs all legal matters for military members. Army members prosecuted under this code have cases heard in a special military court called a court-martial.
Typically, the criminal and defense attorneys who work with the Air Force defense attorney are themselves active duty members of the Air Force. JAG attorneys often attend law school at Air Force expense in exchange for which they serve a predetermined number of years on active duty. There are also civilian attorneys who work for the Air Force defense attorney. The JAG corps also employs numerous paralegal and administrative support personnel, including civilians and active duty Air Force members.
Two years after the JAG was established, the Advocate General’s School for Air Force Judges was created. It is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. The school is responsible for training new JAG attorneys, paralegals and support staff.
The Air Force Judge Advocate also serves an appellate court level to hear appellate cases from the courts-martial level. Civil matters involving the Air Force and Air Force personnel are heard in the civil courts. The Air Force JAG also conducts hearings on noncriminal infractions, which are called Article 15 or Nonjudicial Punishments hearings.
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