Paralegal - the challenges, paths are limitless

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Brandon Blunt
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Legal Office
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  With the new year comes a chance to retrain into a new career field. A great option to consider is becoming an Air Force Paralegal.

I started a new chapter in my career last year when I retrained from Traffic Management into the Paralegal career field. I was worried about being a staff sergeant starting over with a new job. Turns out the majority of paralegals are retrainees.

For paralegals the challenges and paths are endless. Paralegals support all areas of the legal office to include military justice, claims, civil law, legal assistance, contracts, environmental, international and operations law. Within these divisions, paralegals conduct legal research, interview victims and witnesses, and support all aspects of the military justice system.

The primary mission of the Judge Advocate General Corps is "to deliver professional, candid, independent counsel and full-spectrum legal capabilities to command and the warfighter."

At the 71st Flying Training Wing, the Legal Office delivers wise, timely and superior counsel to the command in support of the training of world-class pilots and the preparation of combat ready Airmen to support the combatant commander.

To qualify for the paralegal career field you must type a minimum of 25 words per minute, have a minimum general Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score of 51, and have no derogatory information in your records. You must also complete a personal interview with the Law Office superintendent and the Staff Judge Advocate.

Paralegals are trained at the JAG School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. All nominees selected will attend the six- week long paralegal apprentice course. Paralegals return to the JAG school and attend the paralegal craftsman course for completion of their seven- skill level.

Both courses earn paralegals credit towards their Community College of the Air Force degree. The American Bar Association now offers certification for paralegals upon completion of their seven- skill level and CCAF degree. This certification qualifies military paralegals to work for civilian law firms once they have retired or separated.

Working with attorneys on everything from claims investigation to a general court-martial make this career field challenging and rewarding. If the new year finds you looking for a new career, then maybe the Air Force paralegal career field is right for you.

For more information, call 213-7404.