Recruiting the right team is the foundation of a successful future for our Corps. Building a JAG Corps that is rich in integrity, quality, and diversity is only possible through sustained involvement with law students and leaders in the legal community. Your superb efforts make the Navy JAG Corps an employer of choice, as evidenced by the results of the most recent accession selection board.
This board professionally recommended 48 Student Program candidates from a pool of 296 impressive applicants, for a selection rate of just over 16%.
The board used the "whole person" concept to select a diverse team of highly qualified applicants possessing the highest potential for JAG Corps service. Although strong academic credentials were important, board members equally considered an applicant's demonstrated leadership skills, work experience, quality of character and ability to overcome adversity, motivation, cultural expertise, performance in the structured interview, public service, and prior military service. The successful completion of a Navy JAG Corps internship or externship was also given favorable consideration.
The new team of accessions will soon add their remarkably diverse backgrounds and interests to your wardrooms. The class includes 23 women and 25 men from various socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, representing 35 different law schools both ranked and unranked. Many have prior military experience, and others have worked as a fireman, at the Hague, and at the U.S. State Department. Eighteen have completed internships or externships with the Navy JAG Corps. Our future colleagues are those who continue the high academic and intellectual reputation of the Navy JAG Corps by having participated in moot court and mock trial competitions, as well as having served as editors for law review and other law school journals. They are fluent in a host of languages, including Arabic, Danish, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese, and have studied or worked abroad in places like China, France, Germany, Ireland, Liberia, and the UK. The diversity of skills and backgrounds these impressive candidates bring to the table will strengthen the ability of the JAG Corps to provide superb legal solutions across the full spectrum of missions and operational environments.
Recruiting in the JAG Corps is an all-hands effort, and judge advocates continue to do an incredible job of reaching the very best talent.