Attorney - Judge Advocate

Marine Judge Advocates take responsibility for caseloads immediately in their first tour. With the assistance of supervisory judge advocate mentors, new attorneys immediately begin practicing law in the fields of criminal litigation, institutional compliance, government ethics, and administrative law.

If you think you have the fighting spirit in you to win on battlefields, as well as in courtrooms, the Marine Corps presents the opportunity to prove yourself as a Marine Judge Advocate.

Marine Judge Advocate Candidates, law school students or practicing lawyers, begin their training at the Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia. Here, you will demonstrate your leadership potential and prove yourself worthy of being commissioned an Officer of Marines.

After completing OCS and commissioning as an Officer of Marines, bar certified lawyers remain in Quantico to complete The Basic School (TBS) where you will learn the duties and skills of a Marine Officer. Upon graduating from TBS, you will report to Naval Justice School (NJS) in Newport, Rhode Island where you will be given the tools to be an effective Marine Corps Judge Advocate.

After completing OCS and commissioning as an Officer of Marines, law school students return to law school to obtain your Juris Doctorate. Second Lieutenant law school students will have the ability to intern with Marine Judge Advocates in the Fleet Marine Force during the summer time, as well as pre-bar and post-bar timeframes. Upon bar certification, you will report to TBS in Quantico followed by NJS in Newport.

To apply, you must meet the following criteria :

• US citizenship (dual citizenship is acceptable)
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
• Currently attending or graduated from an ABA accredited Law School
• 22+ on the ACT or 1000+ on the SAT
• 150+ on the LSAT (waiverable if below)
• Age 28 and under (waiverable up to 35 in most cases)
• Physically fit with no major health issues

The Judge Advocate Division is much like a large firm, composed of more than 400 judge advocates and a comparable support staff. 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.

As a prosecutor, defense counsel or litigator, you will try cases before a military judge or before a jury of Marines and / or Naval personnel. You may also argue appellate cases before the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals or the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

As you gain experience, you may transition to other areas of law, such as Civil Law and Legal Assistance, or act as in-house counsel. You will write ethics opinions and research issues pertaining to Environmental, Fiscal, Government Contracting, Labor and Employment, Claims and Tort Litigation Law and other legal matters.

After being appointed a Judge Advocate, you may have the opportunity to obtain a Master of Laws Degree at the government's expense. Additionally, you will be able to attend professional courses conducted by law schools and institutes throughout the country.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The United States Marine Corps is an equal opportunity employer.

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