ALCGPSC 059/24-AY25 SOLICITATION FOR MASTER OF LAWS (LLM) POSTGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

ALCGPSC 059/24
SUBJ: AY25 SOLICITATION FOR MASTER OF LAWS (LLM) POSTGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES
A.ALCOAST 096/24 COAST GUARD ADVANCED EDUCATION PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS FOR AY2025
B.ALCGPSC 054/24 OFFICER POSTGRADUATE AND ADVANCED EDUCATION APPLICATION
PROCESS FOR ASSIGNMENT YEAR 2025
C.PERFORMANCE, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION MANUAL, COMDTINST M1500.10C
D.ACTIVE DUTY OFFICER POSTGRADUATE AND ADVANCED EDUCATION APPLICATION PROCESS
GUIDE ASSIGNMENT YEAR 2025
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 AY25 LLM program, as allocated in reference (a), should
anticipate beginning school in the fall of 2025 with an anticipated graduation in
spring 2026. During school, all military selectees will remain on active duty and
follow normal promotion or advancement schedules. Military students will accrue
obligated service per reference (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 within CGJAG (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: 20 May 2024 (Use Code LLM)
b.DA waiver submission deadline: 20 May 2024 (Use Code PGWAIV)
c.PDF application submission deadline: 24 May 2024
d.OER submission to OPM-3: 20 May 2024
e.OMPF updated in iPERMS: 31 May 2024
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 20 May 2024, to include a 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 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 24 May 2024.
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 reference (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.
d.Eligibility Waivers: Waiver requests are required for any items listed in paragraph 7 or as outlined in reference (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 separate command endorsement
in DA. Refer to reference (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 reference (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
24 May 2024. Applications shall be combined into one PDF document in the order prescribed below. Portfolio PDFs will
not be accepted and will be returned. 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 federal government-wide awards.
10.Templates: Refer to the OPM-1 SharePoint site for templates and more information on the LLM program. PDF applications
submitted without using the prescribed templates will be returned. Link: https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/psc_spo/psc-opm/1/a/SitePages/Post-Grad.aspx
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 (military applicants only)
b.Employee Summary Sheet (in Board View)
c.Application package
d.OER comparison scale data (military applicants only)
12.OER Submission: Applicants intending to submit an annual or semi-annual OER ahead of the panel shall adhere to the
OER submission deadline of 19 May 2024. LCDR Applicants must submit their annual OER, End of Period (EOP) 30 April 2024,
should arrive to OPM-3 no later than 19 May 2024. LT Applicants are authorized an adjusted EOP of 30 April 2024 for the
annual OER with delivery to OPM-3 no later than 19 May 2024.
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 Briana Biagas, Briana.L.Biagas@uscg.mil
c.OPM Post Grad/Adv Ed Sharepoint Site: https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/psc_spo/psc-opm/1/a/SitePages/Post-Grad.aspx
d.OPM Submission Inbox: HQS-SMB-CGPSC-opm-1-PGPanels@uscg.mil
14.RDML R. E. Batson, Judge Advocate General, endorses. RDML R. E. Dash, Commander, Personnel Service Center, sends.
15.Internet release is authorized.