LAW OPTION

Becoming a lawyer is particularly demanding, as is becoming an officer in the Marine Corps.  After successfully completing Officer Candidates School and law school, you'll have proven to yourself and to others that you have what it takes to be an officer and judge advocate in the world's most elite military organization.

As a Marine Corps judge advocate, you will immediately be given the responsibilities of maintaining your own caseload and advising Marines on legal issues.  Additionally, the training you receive as a Marine Corps officer will enhance your credibility with both clients and commanders.  While most new civilian attorneys are relegated to research duty on other people's cases, you'll be building your skills and banking solid legal experience in the courtroom.

The Judge Advocate Division is much like a large firm, composed of over 400 judge advocates and a comparable support staff.  While you will most likely serve as a prosecutor or defense counsel in military courts-martial during your first tour, you will also have the opportunity during your career to practice law in areas as diverse as family law, environmental law, labor law, and international law.  Additionally, you may argue appellate cases before the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals or the United States Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces.

Marine judge advocates have addressed difficult international law issues such as arms control, the Geneva Conventions, and military commissions.  Marine Corps judge advocates serve worldwide, in such places as Southern California, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Japan, Spain, Italy, and Germany.  Additionally, Marine judge advocates have had the opportunity to deploy in just about every international crisis, from Bosnia to Grenada, Iraq, Africa, Haiti, and Afghanistan.

As a judge advocate, you are a Marine officer first.  That means before you take on courtroom duties, you will be trained as a leader and warrior.  You will attend the same Officer Candidates School as any other potential officer, and you will learn the duties of a Marine officer at The Basic School.  In addition to your legal responsibilities, you may eventually have the opportunity to serve in billets outside of the legal field, to include commanding your own unit.