Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Wed, 15 Oct 2014
Center for Career and Professional Development
At the invitation of the U.S. Air Force, law school career service officers from ABA-approved law schools attended an orientation August 26-28, 2014, at the Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB) in Montgomery, Alabama. Attendees learned about the accession process that allows selected law graduates to become members of the Judge Advocate General’s Corp.
Bonnie Mason, assistant director of Career Services of Liberty University School of Law, attended the orientation. She learned that the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) office recruits the best and brightest from law schools to serve in United States and overseas offices.
“The selection process is highly competitive,” Mason said. “The Air Force receives more than one thousand applications each year from which a mere 80-100 applicants are selected.”
Captain Aaron Pike (Liberty Law 2013 alumnus) was selected through the Direct Appointment Program and attended the Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course (JASOC) training as a first lieutenant. Pike was promoted to captain on September 3, 2014, during JASOC training. After the training, he married Liberty University alumna, Nicole Brooks Pike (class of 2014).
Pike has been granted an accompanied assignment on the island of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean.
Several programs make a legal career possible in the United States Air Force: the Direct Appointment Program, Air Reserve Component, and the Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP) for current military.
JAGs in the Direct Appointment Program enter the program with a law degree and begin their careers as first lieutenants. After six months of active duty, they are automatically promoted to captain.
The Air Reserve Component permits a reduced work schedule to allow time for civilian work. In the FLEP Program, any active duty military personnel selected to attend law school can do so without the burden of law school tuition, fees and book expenses. Program details and the online application are available through the Air Force JAG website.
Summer internship/externship opportunities at base offices and the Washington, D.C., headquarters are available to rising 2Ls and 3Ls. Applications are accepted each fall for these internship/externships that will offer 8 to 10 weeks of valuable legal experience and training.
For information or assistance concerning the internship/externship opportunities or the JAG application process, please contact the School of Law Center for Career and Professional Development.