Capt. Rachel Kennedy, ’15, USAF JAG Corps
Rachel Kennedy is a 2015 graduate of The ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ School of Law and a member of the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps. Here is what Rachel had to say about her experience at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Law and the JAG Corps opportunity:
The JAG Corps is an incredible opportunity to practice law in a variety of areas all over the world without having to take the bar exam more than once. As a JAG, during any given week, I will brief a commander on possible punishment options for their Airmen, provide legal assistance by creating a will for a deployer, review a contract for the funding of a new building, aid Air Force Office of Special Investigations in obtaining a search authorization (warrant), and hold a Court-Martial (trial) where an Airman is sentenced to confinement (jail) for violations under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Law aided in my preparation for this career field. During my time at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Law, I participated in an externship with the United States Public Defender’s Office, an internship with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Stow Prosecutor’s Office. ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Law provided me with a variety of class options outside the required courses. I took classes such as family law, bankruptcy, trial advocacy, immigration, advanced criminal procedure, and negotiations. These classes have been instrumental in providing me with a well-rounded knowledge base on which to build my JAG career.
For me, public service was always the end goal. I had considered military as an option when I was younger, but you can never be certain where you will end up or what type of law you will practice. Immediately following law school, I was able to gain some very valuable experience while working as an Assistant Director of Law for the City of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and ultimately applied for the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps.
When considering what I wanted my future to look like, I didn’t want to be limited to practicing law in only one state. I also wanted to make sure that I had the opportunity to grow both in experience and in my knowledge of various sections of law. The Air Force JAG Corps is all of that and more. It is a family, it is a purpose, it is an incredible career and it is a 100% obtainable goal for a student or graduate from The ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ School of Law.