The Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAGC) 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 JAGC intern/extern, you will gain exposure to one or more of core practice areas — military justice (criminal prosecution or defense; appellate work), 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 JAGC, you must:

• be a United States citizen of good moral character;
• be younger than 42 years of age at time of application
• be a law student enrolled in an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited school with at least one year completed by the time you start the internship/externship.

Factors Affecting Eligibility: Foreign nationals are not eligible. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country may apply. Dual citizenship may impact the security screening, which is required prior to starting the internship/externship.

Note One: There are no physical fitness or medical requirements for the internship/externship. However, physical and medical requirements are applicable for full-time employment and Active Duty service. During the course of an internship, some professional development opportunities may require disclosure of medical and physical conditions for safety concerns, such as going underway on a U.S. Navy vessel.

Note Two: For summer internship applications, current full-time 1L students may apply and submit a list of enrolled courses. 1Ls in their first semester are eligible as long as they anticipate completing their first year of law school courses before the start of the internship. 1L evening/part-time students should contact the Intern/Extern Program Manager to seek additional clarification.

Summer Internships

Full-time positions are available each summer.

Start: First Monday of June

Length: 8-10 weeks.

Location: Internships are in-person. The Internship/Externship Program Manager will work with accepted applicants using their preferred locations listed on the application for specific placement. However, preferences cannot guarantee placement in specific locations or offices.

Academic credit, scholarships, or funding: The JAGC internship may be eligible for academic credit or government/public service scholarships or school funding. The JAGC strongly prefers using the standard forms available in the sidebar. However, the Internship/Externship Program Manager may work with your schools to facilitate academic credit and/or funding from your school or law education programs/sponsors.

*Expedited Professional Recommendation Pipeline: High performing interns are eligible to apply and be considered for a full-time offer to join the JAGC (pending medical screening and bar passage). This pipeline considers the intern's application materials, intern evaluation, and structured interview. Decisions will be provided prior to the next accessions board, enabling non-selected interns to apply for the next accessions cycle. Requirements for the application process will be provided to interns during the internship period, and generally comply with the standard accessions application.

Semester Externships

Full or part-time positions are available during the fall or spring semester. The JAGC supports full-time “Semester in Practice” type programs.

Start: Flexible. Start date will be contingent on security screening and other processing prerequisites.

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.

Location: Semester Externships are in-person, although situational, infrequent authorization for remote work may be issued at the discretion of the assigned office. The Internship/Externship Program Manager will work with accepted applicants using their preferred locations listed on the application for specific placement. However, preferences cannot guarantee placement in specific locations or offices.

Academic credit, scholarships, or funding: The JAGC externship may be eligible for academic credit or government/public service scholarships or school funding. The JAGC strongly prefers using the standard forms available in the sidebar. However, the Internship/Externship Program Manager may work with your schools to facilitate academic credit and/or funding from your school or law education programs/sponsors.

Locations

Though the Navy has worldwide locations, internship/externship opportunities are currently limited to bases in the United States.

Recent available locations included San Diego, CA; Groton, Connecticut; Navy Yard, D.C.; Washington/Arlington, VA; Norfolk, VA; Jacksonville, Mayport, and Pensacola, FL; Pearl Harbor, HI; Great Lakes, IL; New Orleans, LA; Newport, RI; Fort Worth, TX; and Bremerton, WA.

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

Note: Applicants are personally responsible for making and funding all travel and living arrangements. Listing preferred locations does not guarantee assignment to that location. All internship and externship opportunities are primarily determined by the operational needs and requirements of the JAGC at the time of selection. By submitting an application, applicants acknowledge and accept that they may be assigned to any JAGC internship location with an available internship opportunity, regardless of the preferences listed. An applicant is free to decline the opportunity should logistics for the location prove insurmountable.

Like future judge advocates, successful intern and extern candidates must be prepared to accept an assignment wherever the needs of the JAGC dictate.

Areas of Practice

Interns/externs are expected to be engaged in meaningful, mission contributing legal work during their internship/externship. Those duties will generally expose an intern/extern to one or more of the core practice areas:

• Military justice (criminal prosecution or defense; appellate; judiciary);
• Legal assistance (providing general legal advice to Sailors and their families);
• Command advice/services (advising military commanders and their staffs).

Assigned duties and practice areas will vary by location and office. Interns and externs can expect to have professional development opportunities in more than one practice area, engage in community and command morale events, and participate in actual military legal practice at a courts-martial, administrative hearing, command advisement, or client consultation.

Applications for internships and externships are collected on a periodic basis. Applications are not accepted outside of the set periods below.  All applications must be received by the established deadline; untimely submissions will not be considered.

• 2026 Fall externships: February 2026
• 2027 Spring externships: September 2026
• 2027 Summer internships: September 2026

OPNAV 1070 3 (REV 2022) - Application

OPNAV 1070 3 (REV 2022) - Intern Application (upload)

Applications will be submitted through the JAGC application portal. During the application cycle, the portal will be the primary location for an applicant to submit materials, documents and required information for consideration. The link to the application portal will appear above during the application cycle.

Application Requirements

Intern and extern applications will generally require the following. A checklist to ensure compliance is available here [Checklist link] and provides amplifying information regarding the requirements.

• Cover Letter
• Resume: no longer than one page
• Transcripts: both undergraduate and current law school transcripts
• Photo: full length photo, in professional attire, taken in the last six months
• Prior Military Servicemembers: DD214 and last five performance evaluation reports

Optional additions to the application may include:

• Letter(s) of recommendation: no more than three, addressed to the “Intern/Extern Selection Board”

If selected, additional information may be collected for the onboarding process, including an OF306, background check and clearance eligibility.

OF306 - DECLARATION OF FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT

OF306

Complete all applicable sections of the form. This form is utilized for your security clearance processing.