Funded Legal Education Program
“So, you’re still in the Air Force? How are you in law school?”
“Wait - you’re getting PAID for this?”
“But you owe six years of service after??? Wow…”
All comments I hear all the time, and all perfectly valid! But yes, I AM still in the Air Force. I AM getting paid while I’m in law school (and not paying tuition, incidentally) and I WILL owe six years in exchange for this magical deal called the Funded Legal Education Program - FLEP for short.
Before diving into the details of FLEP, let me back it up a bit.
MILITARY LAWYERS
Each military branch has lawyers called Judge Advocates, or “JAGs” for short. These lawyers are commissioned officers and serve a multi-functional role on every military base and installation. First and foremost, JAGs are legal advisors for military commanders in a wide variety of practice areas. For example, Air Force JAGs handle everything from Air, Space, Cyber, and Military Operations law, to Government Contracts, Torts, Medical, and Labor law. JAGs are also heavily involved with the administration of military justice; they serve as prosecutors, defense attorneys, victim’s counsel, and judges during military trials (called courts-martial. As in, YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH, LT KAFFEY!). And of course, JAGs provide free legal assistance for active duty and retired military members and their dependents, which in itself covers a wide expanse of topics.
Basically, when I hear “jack of all trades,” I think of Judge Advocates!
BECOMING A JAG
Military lawyering is a unique career field because it requires an advanced educational degree. The vast majority of the Air Force’s judge advocates enter the military after completing their law degree and passing the bar; they were “100% civilian” during undergrad and law school, then joined the military as fully qualified attorneys. Some do several years as a civilian attorney before signing up! Other JAGs complete unique ROTC programs which allow them to go right from undergrad into law school as an officer in Reserve status before applying for a position as a Judge Advocate.
And some weirdos, like me, commission and work in a different military career field before going, “you know what? JAG might be a better fit. Let’s go to law school.” That’s where FLEP comes in.
FLEP REQUIREMENTS
The Funded Legal Education Program is exactly as it sounds - a fully funded law school experience. It’s designed to let active duty Airmen* transition from one career field into the JAG Corps without losing their rank or time in service. Qualifying Air Force members can apply to FLEP once a year; the application opens around October/November, the selection board meets in February, and selectees begin law school the following August. Air Force regulations allow the committee to select up to 25 FLEP-ers each year, but the actual number depends on funding (and is usually FAR lower than 25).
FLEP is a pretty competitive program so the application process is correspondingly rigorous. The full laundry list of required items, deadlines, and processes can be found here; however, the bare minimums are as follows:
Must be a US citizen
Must be on Active Duty (note - you can now be enlisted and apply!)
Must be in the pay grade of O-3 (Captain) or lower when applying
Must have served on Active Duty for no less than two years and no more than six years
Must have a Bachelor’s degree
These aren’t waivable, so always good to double check. Plus, FLEP applicants have to study for/take the LSAT, assemble law school applications, and prep for the Air Force JAG application while serving in a full-time, active duty capacity. That makes for a pretty stressful year!
DEAL OR NO DEAL
Needless to say, the perks of FLEP are IMMENSE. When I signed onto the program, I was guaranteed to maintain my Active Duty status during law school (which includes rank progression, pay, and benefits - INCLUDING A BOSTON HOUSING ALLOWANCE); have automatic summer jobs and post-bar exam employment; and come out of law school with zero debt. There were a few limitations, like a school tuition cap and limits on the methods to otherwise fund my JD - and of course, the aforementioned six-year service commitment (as random as that seems, two years of service for every one year in school is a pretty common conversion rate for military academia).
Like the number of FLEP slots, the tuition cap is entirely dependent on funding; however, the scholarship rules are set in stone. FLEP-ers can only supplement the Air Force stipend with grants from the law school directly; no loans, no paying out of pocket, and no merit-based scholarships. This presented a bit of an issue for me at (the very very expensive) HLS, but luckily the school worked to make it happen!
BOTTOM LINE…
I would do FLEP again in a heartbeat. No doubt about it. And I highly recommend applying for anyone interested. Sure, it’s tough to be selected, and yes, you’ll incur that six-year commitment after law school. But most people can apply to FLEP multiple times (or choose a different route if necessary) and those six years (1) contain amazing work/leadership experience and (2) will absolutely fly by. Plus, for anyone who already has a few years in the Air Force and liked those years a lot 🙋♀️, six seems far more like an opportunity than a commitment.
If you or someone you know might be interested in a JAG career - whether through FLEP or some other path - please feel free to reach out! I’m always happy to chat about the program specifics and/or give my two cents on applying. And as always, thanks for reading.
*Each military branch has their own version of FLEP, but my specific experience lies solely with the Air Force.*
