Coast Guard taps law students for JAG program

Three students at Charleston School of Law have been selected as primary candidates for the Coast Guard Judge Advocate General program, a news release says, and a fourth was named an alternate candidate.

Sarah Cooper, Breanna Moore and Simisola Ojo were named as the primary candidates, and Tiffany Maggiore was named as an alternate, a news release from the school says.

Each of the students participated in the Coast Guard’s externship programs to gain practical legal experience and professional connections. Ojo described her program as “eye-opening,” and she encouraged peers to remain open to new opportunities and experiences.

The next step for Cooper, Moore, and Ojo include completing the five-week Direct Commission Officer Indoctrination course at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, followed by the 12-week Naval Justice School at Newport, Rhode Island, the release says.

Military lawyer commissioning programs offer valuable opportunities to students, Suzanne Chapman, faculty director for the school’s Trial Advocacy Board, said.

“Charleston Law is fortunate to have strong connections to the Coast Guard and the other JAG programs, which provide such amazing opportunities for our students,” she said in the release. “We are very proud of our students for continuing the tradition of commitment to advocacy and to serving their country.”