ALCGPSC 055/23 - AY24 SOLICITATION FOR MASTER OF LAWS (LLM) POSTGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

ALCGPSC 055/23
UNCLASS //N01500//
SUBJ: AY24 SOLICITATION FOR MASTER OF LAWS (LLM) POSTGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES
A. ALCOAST 109/23
B. ALCGPSC 050/23
C. CG PERFORMANCE, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION MANUAL, COMDTINST
M1500.10 (SERIES)
D. ACTIVE DUTY OFFICER POSTGRADUATE AND ADVANCED EDUCATION
APPLICATION PROCESS GUIDE ASSIGNMENT YEAR 2024
1. The Coast Guard Legal Program (CGJAG) is seeking accomplished and dedicated Coast Guard attorneys to obtain their Master of Laws (LLM) in specialized legal fields. Judge advocates will be selected to attend the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS) or an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited civilian law school for an LLM degree in a course of study that will best meet current or anticipated service needs. These LLM opportunities are open to all judge advocates, regardless of source of commission or how they achieved their juris doctor. Civilian attorneys may apply for the ABA accredited civilian law school LLM opportunity.
2. Selectees for any AY24 LLM program, as allocated in ref (a), should anticipate beginning school in the fall of 2024 with an anticipated graduation in spring 2025. During school, all selectees will remain on active duty and follow normal promotion or advancement schedules. Students will accrue obligated service per ref (c), which normally results in a three-year obligation.
3. LLM Programs:
a. LLM at TJAGLCS: This one-year program leads to an LLM in Military Law offered at TJAGLCS in Charlottesville, VA. The program offers judge advocates the opportunity to specialize in administrative & civil law, criminal law, or national security law. The legal program manager will work with the selected student on an approved course of study. The approved course of study may be a factor used by the legal program manager in subsequent assignment decisions. All grades of officer are eligible to apply, but preferred applicants are senior O-3s or O-4s. Civilian attorneys are not eligible.
b. LLM at TJAGLCS with U.S. Army Center for Law and Military Operations (CLAMO) Fellowship: This two-year program includes completion of the LLM program listed in sub-paragraph (a) above in addition to a one-year fellowship at the CLAMO; a joint, interagency, and multinational legal center at TJAGLCS that collects and synthesizes legal issues arising in military operations. The selectee will facilitate the development of legal doctrine within the military community, serve as the Senior Coast Guard representative to TJAGLCS, and perform adjunct faculty duties. This is a two-year program, however, obligated service will only be accrued for the first year while under instruction earning the LLM at TJAGLCS. All grades of officer are eligible to apply, but preferred applicants are O-4s. Civilian attorneys are not eligible.
c. LLM at an ABA accredited law school: This one-year program is open to active-duty judge advocates and civilian attorneys. If selected, judge advocates will earn an LLM in a course of study that aligns with a field of law practiced by judge advocates (projected service needs are national security and international law); civilians will earn an LLM in a course of study that aligns with their position’s practice area. Any selectee will work with the legal program manager to identify the desired school and degree emphasis. The selectee must receive legal program approval prior to enrolling in a school’s LLM program. Contact the legal program manager for more information regarding program policy. Judge Advocate Applicants: All grades of officer are eligible to apply, but preferred applicants are O-4s. Also, a judge advocate’s approved course of study may influence their follow-on assignment. Civilian Attorney Applicants: all paygrades and experience are encouraged to apply.
4. The following deadlines will apply and will be strictly adhered to:
a. Direct Access (DA) Application Submission Deadline: 19 May 2023 (Use Code LLM)
b. DA Waiver Submission Deadline: 19 May 2023 (Use Code PGWAIV)
c. OER submission to OPM-3: 19 May 2023
d. PDF Application Submission Deadline: 01 June 2023
e. OMPF Updated in iPERMS: 01 June 2023
5. Applying to this program includes multiple steps to validate candidate pools and adjudicate eligibility. All interested candidates, to include officer and civilian applicants, shall apply in DA using “My Panel Submission” under the code “LLM” no later than 19 May 2023, to include a positive and finalized command endorsement. No comments should be included in the member comments or command endorsements as neither will be viewed by the panel. This initial DA “My Panel Submission” is to establish the positively endorsed candidate pool for officers and civilian employees. Applicants should separately submit a PDF Application by the deadline prescribed above and in accordance with paragraph 9 below no later than 19 May 2023.
6. Juris Doctor transcripts are required to compete for this opportunity. Officer applicants shall ensure their Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) is up to date in iPERMS, to include all applicable transcripts. ETQC enters degree conferral data into DA and a members OMPF. Instructions for reporting conferred degrees to ETQC can be found here: https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/forcecom_spo/ETQC/SitePages/Degree-Reporting.aspx. Civilian applicants shall include their transcripts in their application package as outlined in paragraph 9, below.
7. Additional eligibility requirements not listed in ref (b):
a. Must have a Juris Doctor degree as reflected on ESS and transcripts in OMPF.
b. For those who completed the Coast Guard funded full time Law JD program: must have completed at least 4 years of the obligated service from that degree at the time of the panel.
c. For those who accessed into the Coast Guard as a DCL and those who completed a JD on their own time: must have completed four years in a legal coded billet by the time of the panel.
8. Eligibility Waivers: Waiver requests are required for any items listed in paragraph 7 or as outlined in ref (b). Waiver requests shall be submitted using the My Panel Submission application
with DA Code PGWAIV. The nature of the waiver should be included in the member comments of the DA submission, which requires a command endorsement in DA. Refer to ref (d) for more information on this process. While tour complete officers are preferred, tour completion waivers will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Refer to ref (b) for non-tour complete circumstances that do not require a waiver.
9. Application Packages: Submit applications directly to OPM-1 at the email listed in paragraph 13 below no later than 01 June 2023. Applications shall be combined into one PDF document in the order prescribed below. Portfolio PDFs will not be accepted and will be returned. Utilizing the template provided on the SharePoint page in paragraph 13.c., application packages shall contain:
a. Officer
i. Personal Narrative – not to exceed two pages, use template provided. Judge advocates will automatically be considered for all three LLM programs. Use the narrative to outline your preference of program, which area of law you want to focus your course of study, and why you are the best choice for the program. If you do not wish to be considered for one of the LLM programs, you must state so explicitly in your narrative.
ii. Command Endorsement – not to exceed one page, use template provided
b. Civilian
i. Professional Resume – not to exceed two pages. No pictures are authorized.
ii. Personal Narrative – not to exceed two pages, use template provided. Use the narrative to outline which area of law you want to focus your course of study and why you are the best choice for the program.
iii. Command Endorsement – not to exceed one page, use template provided.
iv. JD and other degree transcripts, as applicable.
v. Last three years of performance evaluations.
vi. Citations for personal USCG and Government-wide Awards
10. Templates: Refer to Post Grad & Advanced Education Panels (sharepoint-mil.us) for templates and more information on the LLM program. PDF Applications submitted without using the prescribed templates will not be accepted.
11. Panel Materials: Each applicant shall ensure their record is up to date and accurate while adhering to the deadlines outlined in paragraph 4 of this message. The panel will view the following items while in session:
a. OMPF in iPERMS
b. Employee Summary Sheet (in Board View)
c. Application Package
d. Reporting Officer OER Comparison Scale Data in DA
12. OER Submission: Applicants intending to submit an annual or semi-annual OER ahead of the panel shall review paragraph 12 of ref (b) and adhere to the OER submission deadline of 19 May 2023. LCDR Applicants must submit their annual OER, End of Period (EOP) 30 April 2023, should arrive to OPM-3 no later than 19 May 2023. LT Applicants are authorized an adjusted EOP of 30 April 2023 for the annual OER with delivery to OPM-3 no later than 19 May 2023.
13. POC and References:
a. Law LLM Program Manager: CDR Brian Sattler, Brian.G.Sattler@uscg.mil
b. OPM Post Grad/Adv Ed Coordinator: LT Anna Ruth, Anna.L.Ruth@uscg.mil
c. OPM Post Grad/Adv Ed SharePoint Site:
Post Grad & Advanced Education Panels (sharepoint-mil.us)
d. Law Application Templates and Instructions:
Post Grad & Advanced Education Panels (sharepoint-mil.us)
e. OPM Submission Inbox: HQS-SMB-CGPSC-opm-1-PGPanels@uscg.mil
14. RADM Melissa Bert, Judge Advocate General, endorses. RDML David C. Barata, Commander, Personnel Service Center, sends.
15. Internet release is authorized.