My Summer Internship with the JAG Corps (The Army’s Lawyers)
During the summer between my 2nd year and 3rd year of law school, I interned with the United States Army JAG Corps (the Army’s lawyers). This article discusses my experiences, and the areas of law in which I worked. I also have a few pictures from my JAG summer internship.
Legal experience
First and foremost, my goal was to gain valuable legal experience, and I am firmly convinced that I accomplished that goal. I worked in the areas of contract law, fiscal law, criminal law, ethics law, business law, government procurement law, property law, and appeared in the District Court for the Central District of Illinois, using my Rule 711 License. I prosecuted misdemeanor offenses and represented the Government’s various legal departments during meetings and teleconferences. I researched and wrote memos too. Rather than being given tedious tasks, I was allowed to work on important and time sensitive legal issues, including contract disputes with tens of millions of dollars at stake. It was truly an amazing experience, and I’m glad I chose to intern with the Government instead of a private firm this summer. During my JAG Corps internship, I also accumulated numerous writing samples and letters of recommendation, which are available upon request.
The people with whom I worked
Without exception, the people with whom I worked were intelligent, effective, and all around upstanding. Before the internship, they helped me to find housing in the area, and made sure that the mountain of paperwork (including a security background check and fingerprinting) went smoothly. During the internship they assigned me valuable tasks, rather than just saddling me with menial busy work. They refrained from micromanagement, but were available whenever I had a question. On a more personal level, my colleagues were a pleasure to work with. They shared their decades of legal experience, and had some fascinating stories to tell when it came to private practice, working as a civilian government attorney, or serving in the armed forces. I was invited to their homes for dinner, and had a great time socializing with them. I will really miss the people there.
What it was like working for the Army
The legal office in which I worked was staffed by a few military attorneys, a couple military paralegals, and dozens of civilian attorneys and civilian paralegals. I’m told that I was at an unusual office in that there were so many civilian attorneys, and that the Director of the legal office was herself a civilian attorney. On the plus side, the prevalence of civilian attorneys in the office meant that the experience I gained will be quite useful, whether I end up working for the Government or for a private firm.
Conclusion
I had a wonderful experience during my JAG Corps summer internship. I’m confident that the knowledge I gained will be of use whether I end up working for the Government or a private firm; and very few of my classmates had the opportunity to prosecute defendants in Federal Court, with a Rule 711 license. For anyone who is considering a JAG Corps summer internship, I would enthusiastically recommend it.
