The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School

The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, also known as The JAG School or TJAGLCS, is a graduate-level division federal service academy located on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. The center is accredited by the American Bar Association to award the Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Military Law. The center educates military, civilian, and international personnel in legal and leadership skills. The LL.M. curriculum includes courses in Administrative and Civil Law, Contract and Fiscal Law, Criminal Law, and National Security Law. The school serves primarily as the U.S. Army's law school for the Officer Basic Course (OBC) for initial-entry Judge Advocates, and as the graduate program for Judge Advocates of all services branches. It is the only ABA-accredited law school that only awards an LL.M. and not a Juris Doctor degree. History Despite a long record of service by Army Judge Advocates, it was not until the beginning of World War II that efforts were made to provide Army attorneys with specialized military legal education. In February 1942, as uniformed lawyers' responsibilities increased in volume and complexity, specialized continuing legal education courses for Judge Advocates began in Washington, D.C. In August 1942, the school moved from Washington's National University School of Law to the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Intended only as a temporary facility, it was deactivated in 1946 during the general demobilization following World War II. In October 1950, another temporary school was activated at Fort Myer, Virginia on land that is now a part of Arlington National Cemetery. After graduating six classes, it was decided a permanent school for Army lawyers should be established. In August 1951, the Army accepted an offer from the University of Virginia to move the school there permanently. The Seventh Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course and First Judge Advocate Officer Advanced Course began in the fall of 1951. The University of Virginia was selected due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and because it had the largest law library in the South at the time. The Judge Advocate General's School was initially located in Clark Hall, then behind Clark Hall in what is now called Kerchof Hall. In 1975, the JAG School relocated with the UVA's Law School to the university's North Grounds.