A route to international law - Possibly becoming a JAG Officer?

Bethedream

Hello all,

My passion lies in international law/international public law. During my undergrad I was quite involved in politics and foreign relations taking a special interest in the military, international politics, and human rights. My dream would be to become a player in the international arena, either advising political parties, national defence, and/or strategy/homeland security. Additionally, I have always had a passion for all things military (my biggest regret thus far has been not joining). Although my first hurdle to jump is the LSAT, I would like to general direction to think about as I work towards my end goal. Would anyone have any advice about how to come about this? Or becoming a JAG officer? Full disclosure: I am Canadian, and I do have a husband and dogs - I would have to consider them in all this.

Thanks

LSAT_Wrecker

What follows is purely anecdotal so take with a HUUUUUGE grain of salt: I am close friends with four US Marine JAG officers (current and former), one of whom is a LOR writer for me. None of them are operating on the international stage that you expressed interest in. Their focus while serving was either defense/prosecution or as an operational law adviser for commanders / troops deployed to combat zones (think tactical / unit level not strategic / national scope.

Not trying to dissuade you from service, but your post (in my opinion) describes two different types / focuses of legal work.

All of the above is from a specifically American perspective. Good luck!

Bethedream

@LSAT_Wrecker Thank you so much for your response! You have definitely given me something important to think about, I appreciate it!

Raphael Rivera

This is amazing, I love meeting (sometimes virtually) people wishing to pursue this area of law. First thing: Do not do JAG unless you truly want to practice military law. Rarely will you do what you want (wills, administrative tadks, etc.). That being said, doing JAG is a good segway into the Civil Service, where I suggest you go for this area of law. Its doing a specific area of law that you want without being ordered around. These civil service positions are the true players in advising. Butttt its hard to just jump into that without experience (where JAG may come into play).

Look up “attorney” periodically on USAJOBS and you’ll see positions that will blow your mind with AFRICOM, NORTHCOM, and basically all the Commands. Read the requirements for these positions and taylor your path now (if the advising senior military officials is what you want to do). But many of these require security clearances (secret or top secret), which being tied to another sovereign state might hinder.

For those positions i suggest attending UVA (thats where JAG officers study) and pursuing the national security emphasis where you can study military law, LOAC, admiralty, laws of the sea, human rights in the age of terrorism, etc. Its amazing.

Simple Man

Hey, I'm right there with you! Being in the international arena is my interest as well, it was my undergrad. I've also been attracted to military for a long time as well, and would like to become a JAG.

That being said, the area a law you practice will depend largely on the branch you join (in the US at least). There are opportunities to obtain LL.M while serving. You could potentially obtain that in International Law and have a greater chance of being able to influcence your destiny and become an international advisor.

I pulled a list of the different areas of law for the different branches from the University of Virginia's website. Hopefully this helps! Again, this is all US military but it will give you an idea of how different branches focus on different areas of law. I'm sure the Canadian military is more or less structured the same way.

https://content.law.virginia.edu/public-service/judge-advocate-general-faqs#three

1. What type of law does a judge advocate practice?
   Judge advocates typically function in a wide variety of practice areas, often rotating through several areas during their service commitments. The type of law you practice may vary based on service branch, assignment, and geographic location.

Air Force: “[Judge Advocates] have immediate opportunities to practice law in a variety of fields” including: Air & Space Law, Civil Administration Law, Claims & Tort Litigation, Criminal Law, Cyber Law, Environmental & Real Property Law, Government Contract & Commercial Law, International Law, Labor Law, Legal Assistance, Medical Law, Operations Law.

Army: “[Judge advocates] are involved in a broad range of cases in military justice, civil and administrative law, contract and fiscal law, and international and operational law.”

Coast Guard: “The Coast Guard Legal Program is a “full-service” legal support organization, providing legal advice and counsel for any and all requirements the service’s decision makers place on us. This is done within 10 general legal practice areas: Criminal Law/Military Justice, Operations, International Activities, Civil Advocacy, Environmental Law, Procurement Law, Internal Organizational Law, Regulations & Administrative Law, Legislative Support and Legal Assistance.”

Marine Corps: “While you will most likely serve as a prosecutor or defense counsel in military courts-martial during your first tour, you will also have the opportunity during your career to practice law in areas as diverse as operational law, family law, environmental law, labor law and international law. Additionally, you may argue appellate cases before the Navy-Marine
Corps Court of Criminal Appeals or the United States Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces.”

Navy: “As a Navy judge advocate, you will experience the most diverse legal practice available to an attorney. Some of the specific areas of our practice include: Military Justice, Legal Assistance, International and Operational Law, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Civil Litigation, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Information Operations and Intelligence Law.”