Military Reports Spike in JAG Corps Applicants
Several branches of the U.S. Military report that they are on track to have a record number of applicants for Judge Advocate General Corps positions. The Navy received more than twice as many applications in the now-complete 2009 recruiting period than it did in 2008, the National Law Journal reports.
“People are looking for stability right now. We don’t offer the salaries that the larger law firms do, but we offer diverse practices and diverse locations,” Lt. Col. Paulette Burton, the chief judge advocate for recruiting for the Army told the National Law Journal. “As the economy continues to go in this downward spiral, [judge advocates] can count on their salaries and their benefits. We don’t lay people off.”
Burton says that starting base pay for army judge advocates is $40,000 a year, but allowances add $14,400 to that, and the Army recently announced that it would begin offering loan repayments of $65,000 for judge advocates. Marine Corps judge advocates start at between $42,000 and $52,000, while Navy pay starts between $53,000 and $60,000.
Most applicants for JAG positions are still law students, but several branches have noticed more applications from practicing attorneys. The Navy received applications from about 200 practicing attorneys this year, up from the usual 40 or 50.
