Judge Advocate General ' s Corps , U . S . Navy The Judge Advocate General ' s Corps also known as the " JAG Corps " or " JAG " is the legal arm of the United States Navy . Today , the corps consists of a worldwide organization of more than 730 Judge Advocate s , 30 law , 500 enlisted members and nearly 275 civilian personnel , serving under the direction of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy . The headquarters of the Judge Advocate General ' s Corps of the United States Department of the Navy is located at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington , D . C . History . In 1775 , the Continental Congress enacted the Articles of Conduct , governing the ships and men of the Continental Navy . However , soon thereafter , all of these ships were sold and the United States Navy and Marine Corps were disbanded . In July 1797 , Congress , after authorizing construction of six ships , enacted the Rules for Regulation of the Navy as a temporary measure . Then , in 1800 , Congress enacted a more sophisticated code adopted directly from the British Naval Code of 1749 . There was little or no need for lawyers to interpret these simple codes , nor was there a need for lawyers in the uncomplicated administration of the Navy prior to the American Civil War . During the Civil War , however , Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles named a young assistant U . S . Attorney in the District of Columbia named Nathaniel Wilson to present the government ' s case in complicated courts - martial . Without any statutory authority , Secretary Welles gave Wilson the title of " Solicitor of the Navy Department , " making him the first House counsel to the United States Navy . By the Act of March 2 , 1865 , Congress authorized " the President to appoint , by and with the advice and consent of the Senate , for service during the rebellion and one year thereafter , an officer of the Navy Department to be called the ' Solicitor and Naval Judge Advocate General . ' " The United States Congress maintained the billet on a year - to - year basis by amendments to the Naval Appropriations Acts . In 1870 , Congress transferred the billet to a newly established Justice Department with the title of Naval Solicitor . In 1967 , Congress decided to establish the Judge Advocate General ' s Corps within the Department of the Navy . The legislation was signed into law by President Lyndon B . Johnson on December 8 , 1967 , and redesignated Navy lawyers as staff officer s within the Navy , similar to physicians and chaplains . Prior to this change , all Navy lawyers were Line Naval Officers . Prior to 2005 , JAG Corps personnel primarily worked in one of three offices : Navy Legal Service Offices providing defense and legal assistance to eligible personnel ; Trial Service Offices providing courts - martial prosecution , court reporting and administrative trial support ; and Staff Judge Advocates providing legal advice to U . S . naval base commanders . In 2005 , the Judge Advocate General of the Navy approved a pilot program which resulted in the merger of the Navy ' s Trial Service Offices and Staff Judge Advocates into new commands known as Region Legal Service Offices . Additionally , the JAG Corps has attorneys and paralegals on aircraft carriers , amphibious assault ships and flag ships as well as in support of Seabee battalions and special operations commands . The insignia . The official insignia of the JAG Corps consists of two gold oak leaves , curving to form a semicircle in the center of which is balanced a silver " mill rinde " [ sic ] , In ancient France , the " fer de moline " , or millrind , was a symbol of equal justice for all under the law . The two counterbalancing oak leaves are identical and connote the scales upon which justice is weighed . Oak leaves denote a corps , and symbolize strength , particularly the strength of the hulls of the early American Navy , which were oak - timbered . In the milling of grains , the millrind was used to keep the stone grinding wheels an equal distance apart to provide consistency in the milling process . It , thus , symbolizes that the wheels of justice must grind exceedingly fine and exceptionally even . In the 16th century , this symbol was adopted in England as a symbol for lawyers . The millrind can also be found in both the Staff Corps Officers Specialty Insignia and in the Enlisted Rating Insignia ( LN Legalman ) . Legalman . Legalmen are trained paralegal s who assist Navy and Marine lawyers and work in Navy legal offices . Judge Advocate General of the Navy . The Judge Advocate General of the Navy ( JAG ) and the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy ( DJAG ) are appointed positions . They are both nominated by the President and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate . The JAG and DJAG are appointed to a four - year term of office but they usually serve for three . The JAG and DJAG have historically been officers in the service of the Navy . However statute states that a Marine officer can be appointed to either position as long as he meets the requirements stated in the section . By statute the JAG is appointed as a three - star vice admiral or lieutenant general while holding office and the DJAG is appointed as a two - star rear admiral or a major general . Other than age and years of military service , there is no other statute of limitations on how many times a JAG or DJAG can be renominated for appointment to that position if the President so chooses . Offices . Defense Service Offices ( DSO ) . North West Pacific Southeast Region Legal Service Offices ( RLSO ) . Capital Region Southeast Mid - Atlantic West Northwest Pacific Europe Africa and Southwest Asia