The Navy JAG Corps offers summer internships and school-year externships to law students wishing to gain valuable legal experience, the opportunity for academic credit, and greater insight into life as a Navy judge advocate. As a Navy JAG Corps intern/extern, you'll be assigned to a legal command/staff and gain experience in traditional Navy JAG Corps practice areas such as military justice (criminal prosecution and defense), legal assistance (providing general legal advice to Sailors and their families), and command services (advising military commanders and their staffs).

To be eligible for an internship or externship position with the Navy JAG Corps, you must:

• be a United States citizen of good moral character;
• be younger than 42 years of age at time you would begin active duty if selected as a Student Program or Direct Appointment Program candidate;
• have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or GRE; and
• be a law student enrolled in an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited school, and have completed at least the first year of law school prior to the start of the internship or externship.

Factors Affecting Eligibility: Foreign nationals are not eligible. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country may apply. Final selection however is contingent upon successful completion of security screening.

Note: There are no physical fitness or medical requirements. If you have questions or concerns about your eligibility after reviewing the application and required security documents, please email the Intern/Extern Program Manager at NavyJAGInternships@us.navy.mil.

Internships

Full-time positions are available each summer.

• Start: First Monday of June
• Length: MINIMUM eight (8) weeks, with the option to work up to 10 weeks. Extensions into the school year are not authorized unless you reapply and are accepted for that additional period.
• Academic Credit: The Navy JAG Corps' standard agreement for academic credit is available below. You may also choose to participate in Federal Work Study through your law school. The Navy JAG Corps’ standard Federal Work Study agreement is available below. Please note that these are the only agreement forms that the Navy JAG Corps will accept.

Externships

Full- or part-time positions are available during the school year. The Navy JAG Corps supports full-time “Semester In Practice” (SIP) programs.

• Start: Flexible. The fall semester typically begins after Labor Day and the Spring semester typically begins after Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Length: Limited to a single semester. Extensions into the summer or follow on semester are not authorized unless you reapply and are accepted for that additional period.
• Academic Credit: The Navy JAG Corps' standard agreement for academic credit is available in the upper left sidebar. Please note that this is the only agreement form that the Navy JAG Corps will accept.
• Location: Must be able to conduct externship in-person. No virtual externships are offered.

Locations

Though the Navy has worldwide locations, most of the internship/externship opportunities are within the United States.

Past locations have included California, Connecticut, District of Columbia (D.C.), Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington,

Specific office assignments will be made once applicants accept their internship offer.

Note: Applicants are personally responsible for making all travel and living arrangements. The Navy does not currently provide funding for travel, lodging, or per diem. The internship/externship with the Navy JAG Corps may qualify as a public service opportunity for grant or other funding purposes.

Areas of Practice

Interns/externs will likely focus on one area of practice but will have opportunities to learn about other topics from their time onboard.

Assigned duties and practice areas will vary by location and office. In the past, interns and externs have clerked with the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, conducted research into environmental law issues, assisted defense attorneys with criminal cases, and researched ethical obligations.

• Judicial (e.g. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals)
• Litigation (e.g. Trial department at Region Legal Service Office; Defense services at Defense Service Office; civil litigation at Office of the Judge Advocate General)
• National security law (e.g. Office of the Judge Advocate General)
• Appellate practice (e.g. Office of the Judge Advocate General)
• Administrative law (e.g. Office of the Judge Advocate General)
• Ethics and personnel (e.g. Navy Region JAG offices; Command Services Department at Region Legal Service Offices)
• (Limited) Family and consumer law (e.g. Legal Assistance Department at Region Legal Service Offices)

Internships

• Summer 2024: Closed - November 4, 2023

Externships

• Fall 2024: Closed - June 2024
• Spring 2024: Closed - October 2023

OPNAV 1070 3 (REV 2022) - Intern Application

1. Complete the application (located above and upper left sidebar).

*PDF File has fillable blocks and must be "Enabled." This function requires downloading the file (not opening in browser) and opening in Adobe. Download by right-clinking the link. Adobe Reader DC (free version) is able to open the application file.

2. Email the completed application and all other application materials (listed on 2nd page of the application) to NavyJAGInternships@us.navy.mil

Letters of recommendation should be addressed to the "Special Assistant for Recruiting" and may be emailed by the recommendation letter writer directly.

Mailed letters will not be considered.

If email confirming receipt of application not received within 5 days, send an email to NavyJAGInternships@us.navy.mil again to verify application was received.

3. Completed application packages received by the deadline will be reviewed using the Navy JAG Corp's "whole person standard"