I’m a freshman Political Science major. I plan to become a lawyer. In the military I’d like to be a member of any of the branches JAG Corps (or whatever each branch has if they aren’t called the same thing in every branch)
I plan to complete all my schooling and bar exams before joining so I don’t really care what kind of programs they have to help me finish school.
They all seem equally nice jobs. They all have the same benefits and pay scale. Since none of the branches has any benefits for me economically which branch would benefit me more personally/developmentally wise? Does one or more braches treat it’s soldiers better than the others? Anything else I should know?
I became a JAG in the Army after law school. I would encourage you to join ROTC on campus, to see if the military lifestyle will actually suit you. I can only speak for the Army (other branches may have something similar), but after ROTC, you can get your law school paid for through the FLEP (Funded Legal Education) program.
If you really like lawyering, and in particular appellate work, I would recommend either the Navy or the Army, as we get the lion’s share. Both the Army and the Air Force have their share of crappy locations to be stationed at (Ft. Sill, OK and Minot, ND, respectively); however, the Air Force has better base accommodations and facilities.
If seeing the world is your goal, the Marines or Navy is probably the way to go. I have a fellow Army JAG, who used to be a Marine JAG, who as a Marine had to do an Article 32 hearing in the Congo, when one of the Marine embassy guards was naughty. You won’t get that experience in any other branch. Although, to be fair, the Army has taken me to Italy, Germany, Japan and the Philippines.
The legal work that you will be doing can become rote and be less than challenging, at times. But for me, there’s a lot of satisfaction in helping a Soldier out with his legal problems, so that they can focus on their mission. Also, if you got the idea of being a JAG from the movies or TV, in reality the work is 10 times more boring, and you’ll be working with people 100 times less good looking.
My campus doesn’t have an ROTC. I’m interested in becoming a JAG because I want to get practice international law which is the area of law I’m interested in also.
If international law is the sole reason for wanting to join the JAG Corps, you may be better off pursuing a corporate position. You won’t be have a chance to be practicing pure international law until you are well into your military career >15 years.
Of course, there are international aspects to all of the things we do: immigration, visas, SOFAs (Status of Forces Agreements), international treaties, etc. but it’s always tangential to our legal work.
It’s not the sole reason. I want to serve my country. I want the challenge myself. Besides, I have plenty of time to change my mind. I’m only a freshman and I’d still have to go through law school. This is just one of the options I came up with. I could like you said, get a job in the corporate world.
My cousin was a SEAL and I joke that if I can’t be more elite than he was (he’s out now to the best of my knowledge. He’s still living) I can at least out rank him.
