The Judge Advocate Recruiting Office: the gateway to service

Eugene Y. Kim

"Congratulations: On behalf of The Judge Advocate General, I am pleased to offer you a commission in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps!" (1)

Introduction

When the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG Corps) was established on 27 July 1775, it consisted of a handful of attorneys-in-uniform. (2) Over 228 years later, the JAG Corps has evolved into the nation's oldest and second-largest law firm, encompassing judge advocate (JA) officers, paralegal enlisted soldiers, civilian attorneys, and civilian support staff. (3) The success of the JAG Corps is attributable in part to its dedicated efforts to recruit attorneys of the highest caliber to serve within its ranks. The Judge Advocate Recruiting Office (JARO) is responsible for spearheading these efforts. The purpose of this note is to provide an overview of the JARO and its three primary action areas: the JA accessions process; the JAG Corps Summer Intern Program; and outreach and training activities.

The Judge Advocate Recruiting Office

The forerunner to the JARO, the Judge Advocate General's Corps Professional Recruiting Office (PRO), became operational on 1 July 1980. (4) Before PRO's inception, the JAG Corps did not have an office dedicated exclusively to recruiting. Instead, the Personnel, Plans, and Training Office (PP&TO) of the Office of The Judge Advocate General (OTJAG) recruited new JAs. (5) The PRO's primary mission was to expand recruiting efforts to eliminate a personnel shortfall of approximately 120 JAs. (6) Also, the PRO was tasked with training the JAG Corps' field screening officers (FSOs), developing more effective recruiting literature and advertising programs, and coordinating the JAG Corps Summer Intern Program (then in its eighth year of operation. (7) Although the PRO was created as an activity within the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency (USALSA), PP&TO retained supervisory control over the PRO's operations. (8)

During the years that followed the PRO's activation, the office was re-located and re-named several times. (9) In 2001, the PRO's most recent successor, the JARO, moved to its current location in Rosslyn, Virginia. (10) By this time, the JARO had assumed responsibility for Army National Guard and Army Reserve JA recruiting and accessions. (11) Currently, the JARO operates as a division of the PP&TO and is staffed by five JAs and three Department of the Army civilian employees. (12) Tasked with the mission of coordinating the recruitment, selection, and assignment of new JAs, the JARO has served as the gateway to service for thousands of Soldier-lawyers.

The Judge Advocate Accessions Process

Recruiting

The first member of the JAG Corps that law school students or lawyers usually encounter is an FSO, an active duty JA who has been hand-picked and specially trained to represent the JAG Corps and evaluate potential applicants. (13) Annually, approximately seventy to eighty JAs are selected to serve as FSOs. (14) Since FSOs are, literally and figuratively, the face of the JAG Corps, they are among the regiment's most capable and promising officers.

The arrival of autumn marks the unofficial beginning of the JARO's on-campus interview (OCI) campaign. During the fall and spring semesters, the JARO sends FSOs to almost all of the 188 law schools that are accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). (15) Field screening officers primarily engage in two activities during the OCI periods: informational briefings and application interviews. These activities are coordinated through law school career service offices (CSOs). Informational briefings are designed for groups of students and are intended to educate them on the benefits of service. Application interviews are designed for individual students and are a required component in the application process for either a commission in the JAG Corps or a summer intern position. (16) Field screening officers submit a report to the JARO for each applicant they interview; these reports are intended to be honest, thorough, and straight-forward assessments of an applicant's potential for service. In addition to their interview reports, FSOs must also submit an after-action report (AAR) for each law school they visit. When FSOs relinquish their duties, their successors use these AARs to maintain seamless transitions. These AARs are also used to document cases in which a CSO treats an FSO in a manner that is not equal to that experienced by other legal employers. Episodes of unequal CSO treatment or campus hostility towards FSOs are memorialized in FSO AARs, which are reviewed by Department of Defense (DOD) officials to determine whether a law school has violated the statutory requirement for equal treatment of military recruiters. (17) When the FSOs submit their interview reports and AARs, they have, effectively, discharged their responsibilities--at least until the next OCI period.

Since most applicants for a reserve component (RC) JA commission are already practicing attorneys, the recruiting process for RC JAs takes a different route. Reserve component JA applicants must first locate an RC unit that has a vacant JA position that needs to be filled. Once an RC unit identifies an opening, a member of that unit (usually the commander or staff judge advocate) must interview the applicant. Interview reports and application materials are then submitted to the JARO for administrative review before forwarding to a selection board for consideration. Applicants for an RC JA commission must submit, among other things, security clearance and physical examination results. (18)

The passing of the application deadlines signals the end of the recruiting phase. But there is no downtime for the JARO staff members, because they must prepare for the next phase in the process that turns lawyers into JAs--the selection boards.

Selections

Active duty JA selection boards are convened during the fall and spring of every fiscal year. (19) Applications received on or before 1 November are considered by the fall active duty selection board; applications received on or before 1 March are considered by the spring active duty selection board. Before the selection boards are convened, the JARO staff members undertake an administrative review of each application to ensure that all are ready to be evaluated on their substantive merits. (20) Incomplete applications and applications submitted by ineligible candidates are removed during the administrative review stage. (21) The selection board then considers applications that clear the administrative review stage.

The Judge Advocate General (TJAG), who appoints voting board members and non-voting board recorders, chooses selection board members. (22) Selection boards are comprised of officers who are diverse in terms of their rank, gender, and ethnicity; this ensures that each application is reviewed from a wide variety of viewpoints. The extensive information that is provided in each application permits selection board members to assess an applicant's strengths and weaknesses from the "total person" perspective, an evaluation method that is more expansive than review techniques that focus on a single factor (e.g., grades). (23)

After the selection board has reviewed each application, it provides one of three recommendations on an applicant's qualifications: best qualified; fully qualified; and non-select. (24) Best qualified applicants are offered commissions as JAs in the U.S. Army Reserve with a concurrent call to active duty. Fully qualified applicants are also offered commissions as JAs in the U.S. Army Reserve, but are not brought onto active duty due to the limited number of new active duty JA positions. (25) After TJAG adjourns a selection board, the board members may discuss the procedural aspects of their deliberations with the general public.

The JARO prepares the selection board's recommendations and presents them to TJAG for approval. The Judge Advocate General has the authority to accept or reject a selection board's recommendations on any applicant. (26) After TJAG has approved a list of best qualified, fully qualified and non-select applicants, the JARO notifies them via postings on its web site and by regular written correspondence. The selection phase is over; the third and final phase--accessions--now begins.

Accessions

Before selectees for active duty service with the JAG Corps can take their oath of office, they must successfully navigate an accessions process that confirms their eligibility for service. Selectees must graduate from law school, pass the bar, be medically approved for service, and receive a secret security clearance. (27) The JARO is responsible for assisting selectees through this process, which includes extensive coordination with local recruiters and Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS). (28) The two most common reasons why selectees fail to become JAs are failing the bar exam and being medically unfit for service. (29) An offer of a commission will be withdrawn if a selectee fails the bar exam twice, or if a selectee is found to have a non-waiveable medical condition that disqualifies him from service. (30) In cases in which a selectee has a disqualifying medical condition that is waiveable, the JARO works with the selectee and the servicing MEPS to obtain a waiver. (31)

Before reporting to their Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course (JAOBC)---and before they incur a legal obligation to serve--selectees coordinate their first assignment with the JARO. Following coordination with the PP&TO company-grade assignments officer, the JARO provides selectees with a list of available assignments. Upon receiving this list, selectees submit their top five location and subject matter preferences and discuss their assignment options with the Chief of the JARO. The assignment process is a challenging balancing exercise that takes into account the needs of the Army and the personal circumstances of each selectee. (32) Once assignments have been finalized, the JARO coordinates the issuance of orders with PP&TO and the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. (33)

With orders in band, the new accessions report to their JAOBC. Courses are held in January, June, and September. (34) The JAOBC currently lasts fourteen weeks and consists of two phases: a military orientation phase held at Fort Lee, Virginia, and a military law phase held at The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS) in Charlottesville, Virginia. (35) While the new accessions are at Fort Lee, they receive orientation briefings from the Chief of the JARO and the PP&TO assignments officer. From that point forward, personnel management of the new accessions becomes PP&TO's responsibility. The accessions process is over, and the JARO has accomplished its mission: it has opened the gateway to service for a new group of Soldier-lawyers.

The U.S. Army JAG Corps Summer Intern Program

The U.S. Army JAG Corps Summer Intern Program was established in 1972. (36) The program was originally instituted as part of the JAG Corps' efforts to increase the number of minority JAs within its ranks. (37) Thanks in part to the success of the Summer Intern Program, over fifteen percent of the JAG Corps' active duty force is composed of minority members. (38) In addition to its original diversity recruiting mission, the program has assumed two additional functions: it provides a means for evaluating future prospective applicants for active duty service, and it provides the JAG Corps with a pool of student "ambassadors" who can publicize the benefits of service at their respective law schools.

Out of deference to a generally accepted practice among legal employers, the JARO recruits first year (1L) and second year (2L) law school students for the Summer Intern Program at different times during the fiscal year. (39) Field screening officers interview 2L summer intern applicants during the fall, and 1L summer intern applicants during the spring. Application deadlines are 1 November for 2L summer intern applicants, and 1 March for 1L summer intern applicants. (40) Once the applications are received, the JARO coordinates the selection process, which is similar to that used to select JAs. First, the JARO conducts an administrative review of each application. Second, a selection board convened by T JAG and comprised of JAs reviews the merits of each application and provides recommendations on whether an applicant should be designated a select, alternate, or non-select. (41) Third, TJAG takes final action on an applicant's disposition by accepting, rejecting, or modifying a selection board's recommendations. (42)

Currently, seventy-five 2L and twenty-five 1L law school students are recruited for the Summer Intern Program. (43) The program typically lasts for nine weeks and generally runs from the beginning of June to the beginning of August. Summer interns are assigned to work in JA offices throughout the continental United States and overseas, and they are responsible for travel and lodging costs during their service. Summer interns perform a variety of paralegal duties during their internship and, whenever possible, are rotated through an office's various practice areas so that they can obtain a well-rounded substantive experience. (44)

The success of the Summer Intern Program is substantiated by the glowing testimonials provided by former summer interns that highlight a variety of reasons for the program's effectiveness, including the opportunity for immediate responsibility and the chance to work with great people. (45) The impact of the Summer Intern Program as a recruiting tool was probably best reflected in this recent testimonial: "This internship was the best two months of my life." (46)

Outreach and Training Activities

In addition to the recruitment of JAs and summer interns, the JARO is responsible for coordinating four outreach and training activities: the JAG Corps' advertising campaign; the Diversity Recruiting Program; the annual Career Services Directors Conference; and the annual JA Recruiting Conference. These activities are designed to promote greater awareness of service opportunities within the JAG Corps.

The JAG Corps Advertising Campaign

In 2001, the Army unveiled its recruiting slogan for the new millennia: "An Army of One." Developed by the Army's advertising agency, Leo Burnett USA, "An Army of One" has served as the central theme for an aggressive and successful recruiting campaign that has been featured in television, print, Internet, and other information and entertainment forums. (47)

Before 2003, the JAG Corps relied primarily on three advertising mechanisms to broadcast its recruiting messages--print advertisements; recruiting brochures; and the JAG Corps' official recruiting web site, law.goarmy.com. (48) These recruiting tools were created during the era of the Army's old recruiting slogan, "Be All You Can Be," and needed to be replaced with products that would align the JAG Corps' recruiting message with "An Army of One." (49) In the spring of 2003, after extensive coordination with the U.S. Army Accessions Command and the JARO, Leo Burnett USA began producing a new range of advertising products for the JAG Corps. (50) The first "Army of One"-based recruiting vehicles launched for the JAG Corps were a series of (what would eventually become) five new print advertisements. Dramatically different in appearance from the old print advertisements, the new print advertisements highlight the JAG Corps' significant accomplishments, both past and present. The publication of the new print advertisements paralleled the re-engineering of the JAG Corps' official recruiting website. In the summer of 2003, law.goarmy.com was relaunched with new images and features. (51) During the same period, a direct mail campaign was initiated; correspondence was sent to thousands of law school students and graduates inviting them to consider active duty and summer intern service with the JAG Corps. (52) Leo Burnett USA and the JARO also coordinated several public speaking engagements involving JAs. Rounding out the list of new advertising products is the consolidated JAG Corps recruiting brochure, which is currently scheduled to be introduced at the 2004 JA Recruiting Conference. The new recruiting brochure will feature, among other things, the JAG Corps' new active duty and summer intern application forms and a new recruiting CD-ROM. (53)

The Diversity Recruiting Program

Since the early 1970s, the JAG Corps has made a concerted effort to increase the number of ethnic minority JAs. (54) The JAG Corps engages in diversity recruiting activities to boost the number of active duty and summer intern applications from minorities. The effectiveness of these efforts has manifested itself in several "firsts" within the DOD, including the first Asian-American TJAG, the first African-American in the position of The Assistant Judge Advocate General, and the first Asian-American female to attain general officer rank (she was also the first female JA to attain general officer rank). (55)

The most effective diversity recruiting activities in which the JARO participates are minority bar association conventions and job fairs. Every year, a member of the JARO staff accompanies a senior JA, who is a minority, to the annual conventions of the three largest bar associations for ethnic minorities: the National Bar Association (NBA), the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), and the National Asian-Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). (56) The NBA, HNBA, and NAPABA conventions are excellent recruiting venues; in addition to offering the opportunity to "show the flag" and interact with large groups of minority attorneys, these conventions also feature job fairs where law school students can obtain FSO interviews and JAG Corps recruiting literature. With the JARO's support, JAs have coordinated and participated in seminars during these conventions. During the 2003 NBA Convention, Captain William Brown coordinated and co-chaired a panel discussion on the Military Commissions that featured remarks from the Honorable Larry Thompson, Deputy Attorney General of the United States. (57) The JAG Corps' commitment to gender and ethnic diversity was highlighted during the 2003 NAPABA Convention, when Brigadier General Coral Wong-Pietsch, Chief Judge, U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals (Individual Mobilization Augmentee) delivered the convention's keynote address. (58)

Career Services Directors Conference

The career services director (CSD) of a law school can play a pivotal role in influencing and facilitating the career choices of students. These directors provide a variety of career counseling and job search services. In addition, CSDs also coordinate the OCI period for legal employers. (59) It is crucial that CSDs possess a thorough understanding of the JAG Corps' mission and recruiting objectives. Every year in June, the JARO hosts the CSD Conference in the Washington, D.C. area. Following the spring OCI period, the JARO extends conference invitations to approximately ten percent of the nation's 187 CSDs. (60) During the CSD Conference, the JAG Corps leadership and the JARO staff provide attendees with information briefings that focus on career opportunities in the JAG Corps and the benefits of service. In view of the dramatic increase in the Army's operational tempo following the events of 11 September 2001, and in light of the recent introduction of new JAG Corps recruiting and application materials, the need to provide CSDs with current, detailed, and accurate information on the JAG Corps' accession procedures and goals has become an even greater priority. The most recent CSD Conference was held at the USALSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia from 24 to 25 June 2004. (61)

Judge Advocate Recruiting Conference

Approximately one month after the CSD Conference, the JARO hosts the annual Judge Advocate Recruiting Conference (also known as the "Recruiting Conference" or the "FSO Conference") at TJAGLCS. The Recruiting Conference serves as a training forum for new FSOs. The JARO staff conducts the training, which consists of classroom instruction, a mock selection board exercise, and simulated interview sessions with real JAG Corps summer interns. Classroom instruction focuses on the recruiting and accessions process, interview procedures and techniques, interview reports, the Summer Intern Program, the Diversity Recruiting Program, and the JAG Corps' advertising campaign. Attendees from the reserve components also receive training on recruiting procedures and accession issues that are unique to their components. Each attendee receives a Recruiting Conference CD-ROM as well as copies of applications and brochures for distribution to applicants and law schools. The next Recruiting Conference will be held at TJAGLCS from 13 to 15 July 2004.

Conclusion

On 26 April 2004, Major General Thomas J. Romig, TJAG, announced that the JAG Corps would study, develop, and implement changes to its force structure. (62) These changes are necessary to ensure that the JAG Corps, like the rest of the Army, remains relevant and ready. (63) Options under consideration include civilianizing certain positions, expanding the number of JA positions in the operational Army, and increasing the size of the JAG Corps' combined military and civilian force. (64) Although the transformation of the JAG Corps' force structure is still in the planning stages, there is at least one personnel requirement that will remain unchanged: the need for new, high-quality attorneys and law school students to serve as JAs and summer interns. For almost twenty-five years, the JARO and its predecessor activities have satisfied this need by finding and accessing outstanding Soldier-lawyers.

(1.) Letter from U.S. Army JAG Corps, to Selectee for Active Duty Service from Lieutenant Colonel Laurel L. Wilkerson, Chief, Judge Advocate Recruiting Office (JARO) (Apr. 6, 2004) (on file with author). This article also incorporates information provided by Lieutenant Colonel Wilkerson during an interview with the author. Interview with Lieutenant Colonel Laurel L. Wilkerson, Chief, JARO, Rosslyn, Virginia (June 16, 2004) [hereinafter Wilkerson Interview] (on file with author).

(2.) THE ARMY LAWYER: A HISTORY OF THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL's CORPS, 1775-19757-31 (1975) [hereinafter HISTORY OF THE JAG CORPs].

(3.) See JARO, JAGC Resume, Frequently Asked Questions, Civilian Attorneys, available at http://www.jagcnet.army.mil/JARO (last visited June 16, 2004) [hereinafter JARO Web Site]. As of this writing, there are over 1,500 JAs serving on active duty, and over 2,500 JAs serving in the

reserve components (RC) (Army National Guard and Army Reserve). Id. The JAG Corps also has approximately 400 civilian attorneys. Id. The U.S. Department of Justice is generally recognized as the largest law firm in the nation. See U.S. Dep't. of Justice, Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management, at http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/index.html (last visited June 16, 2004).

(4.) Memorandum, Major General Hugh J. Clausen, Acting The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army, to all members of the Judge Advocate General's Corps, subject: JAGC Professional Recruiting Office (12 July 1980).

(5.) Memorandum, Major General Alton H. Harvey, The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army, to the Director of the Army Staff, subject: Establishment of a JAGC Recruiting Office (27 Mar. 1980).

(6.) See supra note 4.

(7.) See supra note 5.

(8.) Id.

(9.) See Wilkerson Interview, supra note 1. The JARO has had several homes, including Fall Church, Virginia (the "Nassif Building"), Fort Belvoir, Virginia (where the name of the office was changed from PRO to the Judge Advocate Recruiting and Placement Service (JARAPS)), and Arlington, Virginia (where the name of the office was changed from JARAPS to JARO). See id.

(10.) 1777 North Kent Street, Suite 5200, Rosslyn, Virginia 22209-2194. See JARO Web Site, supra note 3.

(11.) Memorandum, Colonel Barry M. Woofter, Chief, RC Judge Advocate Accessions, JARO, U.S. Army, to Lieutenant Colonel Jadice Johnson, Officer Division, Deputy Chief of Staff, GI, subject: Recruitment Initiatives for Reserve Judge Advocate Recruitment and Retention (Sept. 2002). The JARO assumed responsibility for RC JA recruiting in 1999. Id.

(12.) See JAG Corp, U.S. Army, JAGCNET, JAGCNET Directory, at https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/JAGCNetIntranet/Personnel/JAGDirect.nsf (last visited June 16, 2004). The JARO's military staff consists of the Chief, JARO (an active duty lieutenant colonel), the Chief, RC Judge Advocate Recruiting (an Active Guard and Reserve major), and three Recruiting Officers (active duty captains). Id. Judge advocates are normally detailed to JARO for tours of duty that last between one to two years. For command and control purposes, USALSA serves as the unit of assignment for JAs detailed to the JARO. The JARO's civilian staff consists of an Active Duty Accessions Manager, an RC Accessions Manager, and an Assistant Summer Intern Program Coordinator. Id.

(13.) See JAG PUB 1-1, JAGC PERSONNEL AND ACTIVITY DIRECTORY AND PERSONNEL POLICIES app., see. 11, para. 2-5, at 4 (2003-2004) [hereinafter JAG PUB 1-1]. The JARO coordinates the FSO appointment process. Judge advocates (usually captains and majors) are nominated for FSO duty by their staff judge advocates (SJAs) and confirmed by TJAG. After the spring selection boards have adjourned, the JARO solicits nominations from SJAs.

(14.) In most cases, FSOs retain their responsibilities until they undergo a permanent change of station (PCS).

(15.) See American Bar Association, ABA-Approved Law Schools, available at http://www.abanet.org/legaled/approvedlawschools/approved.html (last visited June 16, 2004).

   As of August, 2003, a total of 188 institutions are approved by the
   American Bar Association: 187 confer the first degree in law (the
   J.D. degree); the other ABA approved school is the U.S. Army Judge
   Advocate General's School, which offers an officer's resident
   graduate course, a specialized program beyond the first degree in
   law.

Id. The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School is the only military law school accredited by the ABA to confer an LL.M degree in Military Law. Id.

(16.) See U.S. DEP'T OF ARMY, Ran. 27-1, JUDGE ADVOCATE LEGAL SERVICES ch. 13 (30 Sept. 1996) [hereinafter AR 27-1].

(17.) 10 U.S.C. [section] 983 (2000) [hereinafter The Solomon Amendment]. The Solomon Amendment (named after the legislation's sponsor, Congressman Gerald B.H. Solomon of New York) provides for the withholding of federal funding from an "institution of higher education (including any subelement of such institution)" if the Secretary of Defense determines that the institution or its subelements has a policy or practice that prohibits, or in effect prevents military recruiters from gaining entry to campuses or access to students (who are at least seventeen-years-old) for military recruiting purposes. See id.

(18.) See JARO Web Site, supra note 3, Reserve Component. This is another distinguishing characteristic of the RC JA application process. As explained later in this note, active duty JA applicants must obtain security clearance and physical examinations after they have been selected for accession.

(19.) See JAG PUB 1-1, supra note 13, app., sec. III, para. 3-1b, at 6. The JARO also coordinates RC JA selection boards, which are generally convened on a monthly basis. In addition, PP&TO coordinates two career status selection boards which consider active duty JA applications from former JAs, U.S. Army officers who have at least three-years time-in-grade as a captain, and officers from other branches who have career status. Career status board application deadlines are 1 October and 1 April. See id. 3-1d.

(20.) Wilkerson Interview, supra note I. During the administrative review, the JARO staff members sort, arrange, and inspect thousands of documents, including (but not limited to) application forms, FSO interview reports, photographs, resumes, personal statements, undergraduate and law school transcripts, recommendation letters, writing samples, and military records (for applicants with current or prior military service). See id.

(21.) See AR 27-1, supra note 16. An applicant is ineligible to apply for service as an active duty JA if he or she: (1) is not a U.S. citizen; (2) is not enrolled in (or a graduate of) an ABA-approved law school; or (3) is not a third-year law school student (in the case of full-time students), fourth-year law school student (in the case of part-time students), or a law school graduate. Id.

(22.) See supra note 19.

(23.) Wilkerson Interview, supra note 1.

(24.) Id.

(25.) Interview with Colonel Barry M. Woofter, Reserve Component Judge Advocate Accessions, Reserve Recruiting, Rosslyn, Virginia (June 16, 2004) (on file with author). In order to obtain an RC JA commission, fully qualified applicants must satisfy several requirements for RC service, including (but not limited to) finding a vacant RC JA position, clearing a medical evaluation process, and obtaining a security clearance. Id.

(26.) See AR 27-1, supra note 16. The Judge Advocate General also has the authority to grant or deny waivers in cases in which an applicant (1) is or would be thirty-five years of age or older at the time of commissioning, (2) has failed a bar examination twice, or (3) has been convicted of a civilian or military offense. Id.

(27.) See id.

(28.) Wilkerson Interview, supra note 1.

(29.) Id.

(30.) See AR 27-1, supra note 16; see also U.S. DEP'T OF ARMY, REG. 40-501, STANDARDS OF MEDICAL FITNESS ch. 2 (12 Apr. 2004).

(31.) Wilkerson Interview, supra note 1.

(32.) See JAG PUB l-l, supra note 13, app., see. V, para. 5-1b, at 21. The most-often requested assignment locations are Hawaii, Germany, Colorado, Washington (state), and the Washington, D.C. area. In recent years, South Korea has also become a popular assignment preference. See Wilkerson Interview, supra note 1.

(33.) Id.

(34.) Id.

(35.) See JAG PUB 1-1, supra note 13, app., see. VI, para. 6-2, at 28.

(36.) See Lieutenant Colonel James Mundt, The Personnel Picture, ARMY LAW., NOV. 1972, at 11. The first Summer Intern Program Coordinator was Captain (later Major General) Kenneth D. Gray. Major General Gray retired from the U.S. Army on 30 April 1997 as The Assistant Judge Advocate General. Id.

(37.) See HISTORY OF THE JAG CORPS, supra note 2, at 251-52.

(38.) The author obtained this information from searching the PP&TO Database. As of 24 May 2004, 245 of the 1584 JAs serving on active duty identified their ethnicity as being other than Caucasian. Id.

(39.) See National Association of Law Placement (NALP), Principles and Standards for Law Placement and Recruiting Activities, Part V, General Standards for the Tuning of Offers and Decisions, Part D (2004), available at http://www.nalp.org/pands/pands.htm#PART5. The JAG Corps is a member of the NALP, which provides "research, education, and direction for the career planning, recruitment and hiring, employment, and professional development of law students and graduates." Id. The NALP guidelines stipulate that legal employers and IL law school students "should not initiate contact with one another and employers should not interview or make offers to first year students" before 1 December. Id.

(40.) See DAJA-PT Form 13, Application for the U.S. Army JAG Corps Summer Intern Program 1 (1 Jan. 2004).

(41.) Wilkerson Interview, supra note l. The Judge Advocate Genaral approves the designation of fifty 2L and twenty-five 1L summer intern applicants as alternates. Internship offers are made to alternates if there are any declinations among summer intern selectees. Id.

(42.) Id.

(43.) See JARO Web Site, supra note 3, Summer Intern Program. Selectees are hired as temporary federal civilian employees. Second year summer interns are hired in the grade of GS-7, Step 1, and IL summer interns are hired in the grade of GS-5, Step 1. Id.

(44.) See JAG PUB 1-1, supra note 13, app., see. If, para. 2-3, at 4. A summer intern evaluation report (SIER) is generated for each summer intern. The JARO retains SIERs and includes them in subsequent applications. Id.

(45.) See JARO Web Site, supra note 3, Summer Intern Program.

(46.) Id. This quotation is an excerpt from a recruiting testimonial provided by Mr. Gilbert Brosky, who served as a 2L summer intern during FY03. Mr. Brosky was assigned to the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 25th Infantry Division (Light) and U.S. Army Hawaii. Id.

(47). See U.S. Army News Release, Jan. 10, 2001, subject: Army to Launch New Advertising Campaign.

(48.) Wilkerson Interview, supra note 1. Before the summer of 2004, the JAG Corps relied on two recruiting brochures, also known as "recruiting publication, individual" or RPI: "The Whole Truth About Army Law" (RPI 1134), which focused on active duty and RC JA service; and "The Immediate Experience" (RPI 1129), which focused on the Summer Intern Program. Id.

(49.) Id.

(50.) Id.

(51.) Id.

(52.)Id.

(53.) Id. In the spring of 2004, the JARO introduced new versions of the active duty application form (U.S. Dep't of Army, DA Form 3175, Preliminary Application for Active Duty Service with the JAG Corps (Jan. 2004) and summer intern application form (DAJA-PT Form 13, January 2004). Id.

(54.) See HISTORY OF THE JAG CORPS, supra note 2, at 251-52. One example of the Diversity Recruiting Program's success is the number of African-American JAs serving on active duty. In 1972, there were just fifteen African-American JAs in a JAG Corps that numbered over 1,600 officers. See supra note 36. In 2004, there are 124 African-American JAs on active duty in a JAG Corps that has less than 1,600 officers. See supra note 38.

(55.) See Rudi Williams, An Asian Pacific American Timeline, AM. FORCES INFO. SERVICE NEWS ARTICLE, May 19, 1999. Major General John L. Fugh, TJAG from July 1991 to June 1993, was the first Asian-American to serve in the JAG Corps' highest office and the first Chinese-American to achieve general officer rank in the U.S. Army. Id.; see also Lieutenant Colonel Frederic L. Borer, Notes from the Field, Judge Advocate "Firsts," ARMY LAW., July 1997, at 37. Major General Kenneth D. Gray, The Assistant Judge Advocate General from October 1993 to April 1997, was the first African-American JA to attain general officer rank. Id.; see also Lieutenant Colonel Randy Pullen, Waterloo to Washington: The Long Journey of Coral Wong-Pietsch, AM. FORCES INFO. SERVICE NEWS ARTICLE, Apr. 24, 2001. Brigadier General Coral Wong-Pietsch, Chief Judge (Individual Mobilization Augmentee), U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals, was promoted to her current rank in July 2001. Pullen, infra note 55.

(56.) Wilkerson Interview, supra note 1.

(57.) See National Bar Association 78th Annual Convention Guide, Aug. 2-9, 2003. Captain Brown is currently serving as the Chief, Military Justice, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Headquarters, First U.S. Army, Fort Gillem, Georgia.

(58.) See NAPABA 15th Annual Convention Guide, Nov. 11-15 2003. During the 2003 NAPABA Convention, the author coordinated and participated in a panel discussion entitled "Military Lawyers: Where the Profession of Law Joins the Profession of Arms." Brigadier General Pietsch moderated the panel discussion, which featured JAs from all of the military departments. The panel members discussed the professional opportunities offered by their respective JA services and fielded recruiting-related questions from the audience. See id.

(59.) Wilkerson Interview, supra note 1.

(60.) Id. The CSD invitation list is determined primarily by two factors: (1) recommendations provided by FSOs; and (2) the availability of funding to cover invitee travel costs and per diem. Id.

(61.) Id.

(62.) E-mail from Major General Thomas J. Romig, TJAG, to all members of the JAG Corps (Apr. 26, 2004) (on file with author).

(63.) Id.

(64.) Id.

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