The Judge Advocate Corps is the legal branch of the U.S. Army and often recruits lawyers shortly after the completion of law school. To be eligible, attorneys must hold a juris doctorate from an accredited law school, must have been admitted to either the federal bar or the bar in one of the 50 states, and must be under the age of 42 at time of commission. JAG officers receive immediate real world experience under the guide of a direct mentor in all aspects of legal practice.(

Base Pay

An Army JAG officer enters the military as a 1st lieutenant with advancement to captain normally within the first two years of service. JAG officers with no previous military experience can expect to earn $40,165.20 for their first two years of service as of fiscal 2014. Officers with more than 2 years of military service but less than 4 years of prior service will earn $54,464.40 per year in base salary. Additional benefits such as cost of living and housing allowances will be based on the duty location.