What do you do if you're a "Barbie"?

USNA1985
Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:50:33 +0000

I’m a female grad and now an attorney. I think most folks in high school would have considered me very feminine. So, while my experience is many years removed from yours, here’s my two cents.

First, there is no reason you can’t be a mid or a Navy officer and still be feminine. Quite frankly, most women are. However, you’ll spend your military career in uniforms that aren’t designed to make women look their most attractive. And there will be many times when you will have to forego the makeup, the neat hair, etc. If you can’t deal with that, stick to a civilian school and civilian profression.

Maintaining your femininity in a male-dominated, “warrior” profession is always a challenge. There are days when you need to be more like “one of the guys” and days when you revel in being a woman. Figuring it all out takes a bit of time but, as noted above, most female officers I know and have known managed to do it.

As for law school, you cannot enter law school directly from USNA. A VERY small number of officers serving in the fleet each year are chosen to attend law school and become JAGs. However, you incur an additional service obligation and there is no guarantee that you’ll be accepted to the program.

Thus, realistically, you have two choices. The first is to attend a civilian school, go to law school and then, if you still want to be a JAG, apply to the program. The second is to attend USNA, complete your 5-year commitment, and then attend law school (which is what I did, after over 8 yrs on active duty).

My personal opinion (and it’s ony that) is that folks who have a job for several years between college and law school are generally more satisfied in the legal profession and have better job opportunities than those who go straight through (college to law school). And that experience more than makes up for the 5+ years you spent in the military.

Ultimately, you have to consider what’s right for you.