Navy Lawyers
We are over 1,000 attorneys based throughout the world who practice law, support the Navy, and serve our nation ashore and at sea. As commissioned naval officers, we are the uniformed lawyers of the U.S. Navy. We are members of the Navy's Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps.
Our work encompasses a broad spread of legal practice areas. Our mission is critical to the success of military operations. As we operate in increasingly complex legal and regulatory environments, our expertise and skillset are highly sought after across the Navy.
Application Windows
- Student Program (law student applicants for a full-time position):
2025 Spring, JAN 10 - FEB 28
(JAN - FEB; AUG - SEP) - Direct Appointment Program (licensed attorney applicants for a full-time position):
2025 Spring, JAN 10 - FEB 28
(JAN - FEB; AUG - SEP) - Law Education Program (Active Duty Officers):
(APR - SEP) - In-service Procurement Program (Active Duty Enlisted):
(SEP - DEC) - Fall Externship: 2025 Fall, FEB 24 to MAR 28
(FEB - MAR) - Spring Externship:
(JUL - AUG) - Summer Internship: Closed for 2025 Summer
(SEP - OCT)
Discover Our Programs
Student Program
Are you a law student interested in full-time employment?
This is the most common way to become a Navy JAG Corps officer.
Direct Appointment Program
Are you a licensed attorney interested in full-time employment?
This program allows for licensed attorneys to be appointed directly into the Navy JAG Corps.
Law Education Program
Are you an active duty officer in the Navy?
This program gives officers the opportunity to enter law school and earn the degree of Juris Doctor, then serve as a career Navy Judge Advocate.
In-service Procurement Program
Are you an active duty enlisted Sailor in the Navy interested in commissioning into the JAG Corps?
This program provides a pathway for sailors to become a JAG Corps officer.
Internship & Externship Program
Are you a law student interested in intern/extern opportunities?
We offer summer internships and school year externships to law students.
Practice Areas
The U.S. Navy is unique among the services in its ability to project power in all domains: on land, at sea, and in the air. As a Navy judge advocate, you will experience the most diverse legal practice available to an attorney. Some of the specific areas of our practice include:
- Military Justice (prosecution, defense, victims’ legal counsel, judiciary, and appellate)
- Legal Assistance (personal legal services and advice to military members and their families)
- National Security Law (law of the sea and armed conflict, international agreements, foreign criminal jurisdiction, cyber, space, intelligence, and information operations law)
- Administrative Law (government ethics, regulations, and legislation)
- Environmental Law (laws protecting human health, the environment, and historic and cultural resources)
- Civil Litigation (cases incident to the operation of the Navy in conjunction with the Department of Justice)
- Admiralty and Maritime Law (admiralty tort and salvage claims, and international and domestic maritime issues)
Geographic Locations
Navy Judge advocates serve in exciting and diverse assignments around the world. Most new Navy judge advocates are assigned within the continental United States in major fleet concentration areas. However, overseas job opportunities are available.