By Andy Howlett '10
News Editor

On Monday about 60 students, many of them first-years, gathered in WB 128 to hear officers from the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps speak about opportunities for employment with the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps in each of those branches. Third-year Pat Fagan, President of Virginia Law Veterans, introduced the five officers, giving a brief biography of each one. The talk was sponsored by the Public Service Center.

Each of the five speakers was an accomplished officer in one of the branches. The speakers attempted both to explain the opportunities that were available to current law students, ranging from unpaid internships to full-time employment, as well as describe what it is like to be a JAG officer in each of the respective branches.

Interestingly, there is a great deal of variation in each of the five branches. For example, the Coast Guard’s program is quite small, with only 185 active-duty lawyers, whereas some of the other branches are much larger, with the Army and Air Force having over 1,600 active-duty lawyers. Each of the officers speaking highlighted the unique aspects of serving for his respective branch. For example, Navy Captain David Bailey noted that the Navy is “acutely aware that quality of life matters and family matters . . . we understand that [service in the JAG Corps] is about more than just career; it’s about family as well.”

The online notice for the talk noted that military employers “do not adhere to UVA Law School’s non-discrimination policy with regard to sexual orientation in their hiring practices,” but that the Law School “is making a limited exception to [its] policy” for the armed forces under the Solomon Amendment, which threatens the withdrawal of federal funds to educational institutions who bar military employers.