UNITED STATES COAST GUARD 

Judge Advocate General 

Legal Internship/Externship Program 

Application Deadlines: Summer Semester due February 15th, Fall 

Semester due May 15th, & Spring Semester due October 15th.

What to Expect: Interns will work alongside active duty Judge Advocates and civilian attorneys within the Coast Guard 

legal community. The program provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the U.S. Coast Guard and its legal 

community, while gaining insight on its Direct Commission Lawyer process. Interns must complete a security 

background check and are required to spend a minimum of 10 weeks interning at Coast Guard Headquarters in 

Washington D.C. or U.S. Coast Guard legal field offices throughout the country, including: Charleston, SC; Boston, 

MA; Portsmouth, VA; Norfolk, VA; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; Cleveland, OH; Alameda, CA; New London, CT; 

Cape May, NJ; Seattle, WA; Honolulu, HI; or Juneau, AK). Openings at field offices other than Washington, DC, are 

not guaranteed and subject to office availability. 

 Military Justice (Criminal Law)

 Maritime and International Law

 Claims and Litigation

 Cyber Law

 Intelligence and Information Law

 Procurement Law

 General (Fiscal, Employment, Ethics, Real

Property, Administrative) Law

 Legislation

 Member Advocacy and Legal Assistance

Job Description: These highly rewarding internship positions are unpaid; however, interns may receive academic 

credit if supported by his/her law school. Interns are supervised by a practicing attorney and will be heavily 

involved with substantive legal work in one or more of the above practice areas. 

Qualifications: The program prefers 2Ls who may be interested in pursuing a career as an attorney in the military (either 

as a Judge Advocate or civilian attorney), but all 2Ls and 1Ls are encouraged to apply and will be considered. All interns 

must be currently enrolled in an ABA accredited JD program and be familiar with Westlaw/LexisNexis. Applying 1Ls 

must be permitted by their respective JD program to work during the academic semester.

To Apply: Please attach and email your Intern Application (as one document) to our email distribution list: 

CoastGuardDCL@uscg.mil. Please title the email “Coast GuardLegal Internship Application.” The application must 

include the following: 

 Cover Letter; Important Notes:

1) The cover letter must include your preferred legal office location. If you are interested in several

locations, please list them in rank order.

2) If applying to intern at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C., please specify your first,

second, and third choice of practice area.

 Resume

 Unofficial Transcript (If a 1L, you may send in separately after 1L fall semester grades are released)

 Letter of Recommendation from either a law professor or previous professional experience.

 A legal writing sample not to exceed 10 pages

Deadlines: The application deadlines are as follows: Fall Semester due in May, Spring Semester due in October, & 

Summer Semester due in February. CGJAG will continue to accept applications, however, on a rolling basis until 

positions are filled. 

Contact Us

Coast Guard Legal Policy & Program Development 

Email: CoastGuardDCL@uscg.mil

https://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/officer-opportunities/programs/direct-commission-lawyer-dcl