So the good news is that I got an offer from the US Air Force to be a JAG officer. (For the layperson, this means I get to be a military lawyer.) This is particularly good news since the job market for freshman lawyers is pretty sparse at the moment: I’m one of the few people in my class to actually have something on the table.
I have several months before I HAVE to make a decision. As I understand, I could actually show up on a base the day of my assignment and say “no thanks.” With that in mind, I’m still hunting for jobs elsewhere. (I’d particularly like to get a judicial clerkship; the government is pretty understanding if you need to take a year off to do that.)
The pros are that I’ll get a great deal of experience and leadership opportunities in the space of a few years, which most new lawyers at large firms don’t get. The downside is that I’ll have no idea where I’ll be stationed, although I’m praying that I get either McGuire or Dover AFB so I’m close to my home in Philadelphia.
Oh, and I’ve got a girlfriend right now, and we’re both concerned about how 4 years in the military will affect us considering she’s still got 2 years of school ahead of her. We’re starting to think long-term, but we realize that even a temporary distance relationship could be a real strain.
With that in mind: can anybody offer me any pointers on what I’m getting myself into?
