The Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) is the commanding officer of the Army’s legal arm, with members including commissioned officers and enlisted paralegal assistants. JAG attorneys are typically law school graduates who provide legal services and represent service members in court martials. The JAG corps was founded by George Washington in 1775 and has had major successes such as prosecuting Benedict Arnold for treason and writing the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
An Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) is generally understood to be a member of the United States Army’s JAG corps, the legal arm of that branch of the military service. Strictly speaking, JAG in the Army refers to a single person, the Judge Advocate General of the Army, who is the commanding officer of the Army’s JAG corps worldwide.
Members of the Army JAG corps are typically attorneys who are commissioned officers and paralegal assistants who are in the enlisted ranks. They provide a wide range of legal services for members of the military around the world, in addition to representing service in legal cases and serving as prosecutors and defense counsels in court martials or military trials.
Members of the Army JAG Corps serve in both active duty and Army Reserves. There are similar JAG corps in all branches of the military: Navy, Marines and Air Force &mash; that serve similar purposes.
An Army JAG attorney is typically a graduate of an accredited law school who has been admitted to the bar of a federal court or the highest court of any U.S. state, then completed a specific set of training programs before being made an officer. There are many other detailed requirements spelled out by the Army in its recruiting materials. Members of the military can apply to join the JAG even before graduation and completing the American Bar Association requirements. Following the commission, a JAG attorney can usually expect to receive roles similar to those filled by civil attorneys: prosecutor, defense attorney, civil litigator, and general or domestic counsel.
A paralegal specialist in the Army JAG corps typically holds a high school diploma or GED certificate, possesses basic administrative skills, and has completed Army specific training among many other basic requirements set forth by the Army. After training, Army paralegals support JAG attorneys much like their counterparts in civilian life, working as clerks, court recorders, and paralegals.
The Army calls its body JAG the oldest law firm in the world. It was founded by George Washington on July 29, 1775, when he was still a general in the Revolutionary Army. The Army JAG’s major successes include the prosecution of Benedict Arnold for treason; helping convicted Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germany after WWII; and, in 1951, by writing the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the legal rules used by all branches of the US military.
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