GW Law's Military Ties and National Security Program Fuel JAG Corps Success

The George Washington University Law School is a global law school that exists to make an impact on the law, and one of its more distinctive features is its close ties with the military services. GW Law not only attracts dozens of veteran JD, MSL, and LLM candidates, as well as active duty LLM candidates it also prepares students for the competitive, rigorous, and highly selective Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps selection process. 

Each year, several GW Law students are selected out of hundreds of applicants for Judge Advocate positions in the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. This year is no different and several students have already received employment offers from the service JAG Corps even before Fall board selections have been made. Recently, five GW Law third-year JD candidates—four Army JAG selectees and one Air Force JAG selectee—were chosen to serve as Judge Advocates. GW Law Army JAG selectees include third-year law students, Grady Stevens, Hunter Evans, and Tei Kim, and second-year law student Luke Schlobohm. The Army selectees all served as paid summer interns in various locations including Germany and they had the opportunity to apply for early selection at the end of their summer of service with the Army JAG Corps. Austin Newman, a third-year law student, who served in an externship with the Air Force JAG Corps last academic year, was selected by the Air Force.

The secret behind GW Law's high JAG Corps selection rate is its National Security, Cybersecurity, and Foreign Relations Law Program. Headed by Associate Dean Lisa Schenck, a retired colonel and Army Judge Advocate, and the Honorary Colonel of the Army JAG Corps Regiment, this program serves as a JAG Corps pipeline for students interested in military legal careers. "We set our students up for success," Dean Schenck said, "our program offers a Military Justice course, chances to participate in events with and take leadership positions in, the Military Law Society, JAG Corps externship opportunities with all services, courses taught by retired Judge Advocates from all services, and classes with active-duty JAG LLM candidates." JD students in the program also have the opportunity to secure a transcript annotation for a concentration in either National Security and Cybersecurity Law, National Security and Foreign Relations Law, or Government Procurement and Cybersecurity Law.

During their second and third year, students can enroll in National Security, Cybersecurity, and Foreign Relations Law Program classes that prepare them for military service, find mentorship from retired and active-duty JAGs, and compete for JAG externships or paid summer JAG internships that give them a sampling of life as a Judge Advocate.

This program and its opportunities would be impossible without the dedication and passion of Associate Dean Schenck and her outstanding team of professors such as the former Army Judge Advocate General, Lieutenant General Chuck Pede, and former Army Deputy Judge Advocate General, John D. Altenburg Jr. dedication that sets up prospective JAG selectees for success. "I am thrilled to see the hard work of GW Law students pay off in their selection to the JAG Corps," Schenck said, "and I think they will enjoy the unique opportunity to serve their country as military officers while practicing in a wide range of legal areas such as national security law, criminal law, international law, and legal assistance, and I wish each of them sincere congratulations."

Listen to the GW Law students talk about their experiences.