Military Law Forum

[Anonymous User]

Good luck to everyone applying to the Navy DA Board!

[Anonymous User]

I posted this in another thread, but I thought i'd have more luck here:

I am a current law clerk, and an officer in the National Guard. I just found out that I need to mobilize in January for about 4-5 months. Before my clerkship I worked for a year at a V10, and they have given me an offer to come back after this clerkship (which ends in September). The firm doesn't know about the mobilization yet. My question: will I be able to start at the firm after my clerkship ends, say in October, and then leave for the mobilization three months later (after which I would return to the firm)? Do I tell them about the mobilization now?

I know that USERRA would probably protect me in this situation, but I don't want to burn bridges/come off as difficult with my new employer just three months after starting, especially considering that I may need the firm to be accommodating of my military service in the future if I end up having to deploy for a longer period. I don't think I can afford to just take 4 months off before the mobilization, so if I don't go to the firm until after the mobilization, I would probably have to find some kind of short-term job (which would be hard, and might look weird on the resume).

I'd appreciate any and all advice/input.

[sNdChuck]

For anyone who cares the Coast Guard DCL December board results were released. ~6 selectees, 2 alternates. Good luck to anyone applying to the February board.

[Anonymous User]

I know that USERRA would probably protect me in this situation, but I don't want to burn bridges/come off as difficult with my new employer just three months after starting, especially considering that I may need the firm to be accommodating of my military service in the future if I end up having to deploy for a longer period. I don't think I can afford to just take 4 months off before the mobilization, so if I don't go to the firm until after the mobilization, I would probably have to find some kind of short-term job (which would be hard, and might look weird on the resume).

USERRA requires you to notify your employer of mobilizations (with exceptions for emergencies) in order to receive protections, so yes, you need to let them know. That said, would you prefer to extend your clerkship through December instead? If that's more desirable, I would ask your Judge and then present it to your firm as you being proactive and trying squeeze out a little more training time instead of starting and abruptly stopping to deploy. Give the firm the option of you coming on when agreed and leaving to deploy, but it should be clear that this would be better (understanding that your deployment date could be delayed/changed for reasons outside of your control).

If you can't extend the clerkship, look into whether you can strike short term orders with the Guard or another branch. Depending on where you live, you might be able to pull more AD pay while helping out a JAG office somewhere. Best of luck.

[Anonymous User]

I posted this in another thread, but I thought i'd have more luck here:

I am a current law clerk, and an officer in the National Guard. I just found out that I need to mobilize in January for about 4-5 months. Before my clerkship I worked for a year at a V10, and they have given me an offer to come back after this clerkship (which ends in September). The firm doesn't know about the mobilization yet. My question: will I be able to start at the firm after my clerkship ends, say in October, and then leave for the mobilization three months later (after which I would return to the firm)? Do I tell them about the mobilization now?

I know that USERRA would probably protect me in this situation, but I don't want to burn bridges/come off as difficult with my new employer just three months after starting, especially considering that I may need the firm to be accommodating of my military service in the future if I end up having to deploy for a longer period. I don't think I can afford to just take 4 months off before the mobilization, so if I don't go to the firm until after the mobilization, I would probably have to find some kind of short-term job (which would be hard, and might look weird on the resume).

I'd appreciate any and all advice/input.

Do you have orders in hand yet? If not, there is nothing to report at this time. January is a long way off and there is a lot that can happen between now and then that would impact if/when you mob. Y

[Anonymous User]

OYCP cadet here. Had a question from some fellow cadets about if they can do an educational delay program to attend law school? I haven’t heard of that from current recruiters and can’t seem to find any current Air Force specific guidance on it.

I’ve found a few white papers from like 2011 that seem to indicate you can do educational delay to attend law school and then have to apply to the JAG corps 2nd or 3rd year almost like a direct appointment candidate.

Anyone able to confirm the existence of such a path?

[howell]

Has anyone started a federal job during terminal leave? If so, can I delay the start of health insurance through the civilian employee options until I have separated? Or do I just get both for a couple of months?

[Patrick Bateman]

Has anyone started a federal job during terminal leave? If so, can I delay the start of health insurance through the civilian employee options until I have separated? Or do I just get both for a couple of months?

Starting the new job is the triggering QLE that enables you to get enrolled outside of Open Season. I don't think you will be able to claim the end of your AD time as a QLE under this situation.

https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insuranc ... en-season/

https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/life-events/

https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insuranc ... nrollment/

Depending on the specifics, you may be able to just hold off on making your health insurance election for as long as possible. For FEHB, I think it is 60 days:

Enrollment Timeframes

You may enroll or change enrollment during Open Season or within a specific timeframe of experiencing a Qualifying Life Event. For most of the enrollment opportunities, you will have up to 60 days after the date of the event. Note that if you take the full 60 days, you will be without FEHB coverage until the effective date of your enrollment

[howell]

Thanks! I might just slow-roll the application process. The overlap is just over 60 days, so that should work out well.

[advet]

Hello all,
I was wondering if anyone on the Dec 18 Army JAG selection list received an email JARO? I was selected as a primary but have not heard anything since I sent my letter of intent.

[keong678]

Hello all,
I was wondering if anyone on the Dec 18 Army JAG selection list received an email JARO? I was selected as a primary but have not heard anything since I sent my letter of intent.

You should have gotten a long email with bunch of attachments. You have to send back 3 spreasheets too. I am AD so I am not sure about AR component. Check your spam folder and if you still cant find the email I would contact JARO since all medical needs to be scheduled prior to April 1st.

[jam313]

Hello all,
I was wondering if anyone on the Dec 18 Army JAG selection list received an email JARO? I was selected as a primary but have not heard anything since I sent my letter of intent.

For AD, an email was sent out on Feb 5 @ 3:32pm. Definitely get in contact with JARO if you didn't get your email/welcome packet yet.

BTW: anyone contacted by DoDMERB or able to log into dodmets.com yet?

[Anonymous User]

For Army accessions, anyone have any news on medical processing? Are we supposed to wait until they reach out to us to schedule the physical exams?

[Anonymous User]

This is a question specific to the Army:

In your first four years, how much control do you have over your career and your practice area? For example, if I am currently am an environmental law attorney, is there anything I can do to make sure (or at least increase my chances) I get exposure to environmental law in the Army? Does selecting a duty station play any part in this, or are duty stations mainly a geographical consideration, i.e., where I would like to live for the next year or two?

[FSUAttorney]

This is a question specific to the Army:

In your first four years, how much control do you have over your career and your practice area? For example, if I am currently am an environmental law attorney, is there anything I can do to make sure (or at least increase my chances) I get exposure to environmental law in the Army? Does selecting a duty station play any part in this, or are duty stations mainly a geographical consideration, i.e., where I would like to live for the next year or two?

You will have very little control over your career/practice area out of the gate. Very, very, very few attorneys in the Army practice in environmental law.

[SamSmith1220]

Anyone selected for JARO Reserves heard anything yet? I see AD folks have received an e-mail already.

[Rocky123]

BTW: anyone contacted by DoDMERB or able to log into dodmets.com yet?

Nope. Sent in my worksheet/info to JARO over a week ago but still no additional info and can't log in to dodmets.com. It gives an April 1 deadline for scheduling the initial exam, so that makes me think it could take a while.

[Anonymous User]

OYCP cadet here. Had a question from some fellow cadets about if they can do an educational delay program to attend law school? I haven’t heard of that from current recruiters and can’t seem to find any current Air Force specific guidance on it.

I’ve found a few white papers from like 2011 that seem to indicate you can do educational delay to attend law school and then have to apply to the JAG corps 2nd or 3rd year almost like a direct appointment candidate.

Anyone able to confirm the existence of such a path?

I'm confused by your statement. If you're an OYCP cadet then you're already in law school (I'm a 3L currently doing OYCP). Unless there is an undergrad program that's also called "OYCP" but the only reference I've found is the one specific for law students.

With that said, there is an Ed Delay program to go to law school for AFROTC. Talk to your cadre about it. The deadline is either coming up shortly, or has already passed, for those that are commissioning this spring. From the AF JAG website:

HOW TO APPLY
There are two application phases in the Educational Delay Program: Ed Delay In and Ed Delay Out.

ED DELAY IN
In this first application phase, you must complete two steps:

Step 1: You must apply through your local AFROTC detachment to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at the beginning of the spring semester of your senior year of undergraduate school.

Step 2: A selection board is held in February of each year. Applications are accepted through our online application processing system. All application materials must be submitted online on or before the 10th of the month (i.e., January 10) prior to the board meeting. In addition to your online application, you must schedule a hiring interview with a Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) at any Air Force Base (AFB) through the online application processing system. A SJA will contact you to schedule an interview AFTER you submit your application materials online. The interview must be completed on or before February 1.

After the interview, the SJA will prepare a report that is forwarded, along with your application materials, to HQ USAF/JAX. Please do not mail application materials directly to HQ USAF/JAX. If you need to add materials to your application after submission, contact the SJA who conducted your interview to assist you. Additional materials will not be accepted after the first of the month that the board meets.

ED DELAY OUT
During the final semester of law school, you will repeat the same application process you completed for entry. Utilize the online application system to submit your application materials. The selection board is held in February of each year. All application materials must be submitted online on or before the 10th of the month (i.e., January 10) prior to the board meeting. A SJA will contact you to schedule an interview AFTER you submit your application materials online. The interview must be completed on or before February 1. After the interview, the SJA prepares a written report that is forwarded to HQ USAF/JAX.

[Anonymous User]

This is a question specific to the Army:

In your first four years, how much control do you have over your career and your practice area? For example, if I am currently am an environmental law attorney, is there anything I can do to make sure (or at least increase my chances) I get exposure to environmental law in the Army? Does selecting a duty station play any part in this, or are duty stations mainly a geographical consideration, i.e., where I would like to live for the next year or two?

You will have very little control over your career/practice area out of the gate. Very, very, very few attorneys in the Army practice in environmental law.

I didn't believe FSUAttorney at first; I thought surely there were a few Environmental slots, because that's a function performed at the installation level...so I searched the Army JAG Directory. I stand corrected. There is one O-3, about a dozen O-4s; the rest of the environmental attorneys are civilians.

Now, Anon, could you potentially do some environmental work during your first tour or two? Yeah, I think so. Let your SJA/Chief know that you've got a background in environmental law. While you're toiling away in the AdLaw shop, if something comes up the Chief of AdLaw would be smart to apply you to it. But you'll only be in AdLaw for what, about 2 years? So only part of that time might you be handling environmental law.

That said, the current career path for active duty Army JAs includes 1-2 areas of specialization, which is developed post-MAJ course (as I understand it). So there's a chance that 7-8 years down the road you could specialize in Environmental Law, even get an LLM. Remember those "dozen O-4s" I mentioned? That could be you. But FSUAttorney is spot on - you have "very little control", especially in the early phase of your career.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone selected for JARO Reserves heard anything yet? I see AD folks have received an e-mail already.

I was wondering the same. i was was selected for the Reserves and as an alternate for AD. I haven't received an email yet. I tried contacting JARO last week, but still haven't heard anything yet. I went through the entire selection process a couple of years ago and changed my mind a month before DCC/JAOBC, then I went ARNG JAG last year. The email with the initial paperwork is pretty straightforward and doesn't take long to complete. Medical takes the longest, but most of that time is waiting to get put in the system on the front end and then waiting for your exam to be reviewed on the back end. The entire process of completing my packet took me about 6 months from the time I received the first email, but I also needed a medical wavier. With that said, I think there is still plenty of time to complete the packet prior to the DCC/JAOBC start dates, but that doesn't stop me from checking my inbox every 5 mins.

[Anonymous User]

Any fellow Army AD alternate list folks been contacted, or even culled from the alt list to jump in the AD group? I imagine that pulls from the alt list into the process will happen in “waves” or bulk bursts. So I guess I’m curious if the first wave as a result of some number of non acceptances from AD selectees has happened yet or not.

Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Any fellow Army AD alternate list folks been contacted, or even culled from the alt list to jump in the AD group? I imagine that pulls from the alt list into the process will happen in “waves” or bulk bursts. So I guess I’m curious if the first wave as a result of some number of non acceptances from AD selectees has happened yet or not.

Thanks!

On the AD alternate list also. I haven’t been contacted and so far, don’t know of anyone else on the alternate list that has either. I would imagine the greatest number slots open from people who initially decline and from those medically disqualified. If you’re not in the the first wave of inital AD declines, the next wave would probably be medically disqualified and that probably won’t happen until eary to mid summer. Which is probably why JARO is pushing the AD people through first. As AD slots open (fingers crossed) some people from the primary Reserve list will fill those slots, then people on the Reserve alternate list can move to the primary Reserve list.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone knows what's going on with dodmets for Army AD?

[Dawg57]

Any fellow Army AD alternate list folks been contacted, or even culled from the alt list to jump in the AD group? I imagine that pulls from the alt list into the process will happen in “waves” or bulk bursts. So I guess I’m curious if the first wave as a result of some number of non acceptances from AD selectees has happened yet or not.

Thanks!

On the AD alternate list also. I haven’t been contacted and so far, don’t know of anyone else on the alternate list that has either. I would imagine the greatest number slots open from people who initially decline and from those medically disqualified. If you’re not in the the first wave of inital AD declines, the next wave would probably be medically disqualified and that probably won’t happen until eary to mid summer. Which is probably why JARO is pushing the AD people through first. As AD slots open (fingers crossed) some people from the primary Reserve list will fill those slots, then people on the Reserve alternate list can move to the primary Reserve list.

I think I know what you are saying, and yes that makes sense. Glad there are other AD alt listers lurking here. Not alone, lol. Happy to DM and compare notes on the process or information as it gets dessiminated.

Good luck and god speed to those of us waiting. And those ADers waiting on Medical processing..

[Anonymous User]

Reaching out to see if any GLP or OYCP candidates have heard from their SJA yet about results?

I know its early but the wait is killing me. Past years it looks like calls were sent out between the 20th and 25th of Feb. Good luck to everyone