A key to a successful future for our Corps is recruiting the right people. Building a JAG Corps that is rich
in integrity, quality, and diversity is only possible through sustained engagement with law students and leaders
in the legal community. The Spring 2013 Accessions Selection Board professionally recommended 26 student program candidates and four direct accession candidates out of 555 impressive applicants. The five percent selection rate is an indication of how the Navy JAG Corps continues to be an attractive and competitive employer.
The board used the “whole-person” standard to select the best applicants. Although strong academic
credentials were important, other factors were equal contributors in the selection process. Board members
considered an applicant’s performance in the structured interview, demonstrated leadership, public service,
motivation, cultural knowledge, living or studying abroad, and work and life experiences within diverse
cultures, among other factors. Experience as a Navy JAG Corps intern was specifically considered.
Recommendations and personal statements were important in providing the board with a complete picture of
each applicant.
The new class of accessions will add their remarkably diverse backgrounds and interests to the JAG Corps
wardroom. They represent 27 different law schools, are from various socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds,
and include 13 women and 17 men. Many have prior military experience, including distinguished service in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Others have worked as paralegals and forensic analysts. They are Eagle Scouts, National Merit Scholars, and NCAA scholar athletes. One is a karate champion and another is a Legalman attending law school as part of the Navy’s Career Intermission Pilot Program. The diversity of skills and backgrounds they offer will strengthen the ability of the JAG Corps to provide superb legal solutions across the full spectrum of missions and operational environments. Among our future officers are those who have competed in marathons and triathlons, served as rape crisis counselors, and started their own charitable organizations. They continue the high academic and intellectual reputation of the Navy JAG Corps by having participated in and won moot court competitions and served as editors for law school journals. They are fluent in Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, and have lived and worked in Cambodia, Cameroon, China, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Eleven of the 30 accessions interned with the Navy JAG Corps.
