Charleston School of Law students Sarah Cooper, Breanna Moore, and Simisola Ojo have been named primary selectees for commissioning as Lieutenants in the United States Coast Guard JAG program. In addition, Tiffany Maggiore was selected as an alternate.
Coast Guard Judge Advocates are commissioned officers and licensed attorneys qualified to represent the Coast Guard and its members in military legal matters encompassing a diverse range of legal practice areas. Being a part of JAG provides students with the opportunity to serve the United States as a leader, an officer, and an attorney.
“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,” said Suzanne Chapman, Charleston School of Law Faculty Director for the Trial Advocacy Board. “We are very proud of our students for continuing the tradition of commitment to advocacy and to serving their country.”
“The U.S. Coast Guard recruits and retains motivated future lawyers who want to serve our Nation in uniform as judge advocates, who are interested in litigation and being in the courtroom, and who can make an immediate impact to support our wonderful Service,” said Rear Admiral Bill Dwyer, the Coast Guard’s Chief Prosecutor. “The growing and strengthening partnership we now have with the Charleston School of Law is allowing us to do just that. In the past year, my Office, along with the Coast Guard’s Maritime Law Enforcement Academy located here in Charleston, proudly contributed to the selection of a third of the 2025 class of future Coast Guard judge advocates! Our externship program, along with our efforts to support the Law School’s inaugural nationwide, mock court-martial competition, is allowing us to give back to the Low Country while at the same time bring onboard the next generation of the Service’s future leaders. I couldn’t be more excited about the future while working closely Dean Marcantel and his team for many, many years to come.”
“The partnership we have established with the Coast Guard is a terrific benefit to our law students and our School,” said Charleston School of Law Interim Dean Jon Marcantel. “Charleston Law is all about community, both internally and externally, through community partnerships. We hope to continue to enhance this relationship.”
“We are so proud of these four students for their tremendous accomplishment,” said Nick Sanders, Associate Dean of Students and Career Services at Charleston Law. “These students have been excellent leaders and steadfast in their service while on campus and we are thrilled to follow their achievements in service of the Coast Guard JAG program.
Each of the Charleston Law students also participated in an externship program through the Coast Guard. Ojo said the experience was eye-opening. “You don’t necessarily know where your inspiration will come from, so it’s very important to be open-minded. It’s easy to shut yourself off and get tunnel vision … just allow yourself to be limitless, and even if you don’t like your experience is, you’re still rubbing shoulders, you’re still being exposed to people, you’re still making connections.”
“Be curious and explore,” added Maggiore. “I would’ve never thought of the military in a million years, but I am glad I pursued this opportunity … So much of your legal experience is transferable and the skills I developed this summer are already paying off.”
Lieutenant Commander Andrew P. Taylor encourages law school students to think strategically about internships. “As a law student, your 1L year pursue an internship that will help give you a perspective and explore what you like and don’t like” he said. “Your 2L summer internship, my rule of thumb is you should be really looking for an opportunity at a place you’d like to work for. 3L year you are studying for the bar exam.”
The Coast Guard internship program is “not shy about putting you to work and giving you practical experience,” said Maggiore. “Not only did I come out confident in this general counsel pursuit, but I also came out thinking I could do this with the Coast Guard. There’s a place for my personality, my strengths, and how I see my legal identity.”
The next step for Cooper, Moore, and Ojo is to complete a five-week Direct Commission Officer Indoctrination course at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. DCO School is designed to foster leadership skills and shape candidates into Coast Guard officers. Upon completion of DCO School, they will travel to the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island, where they will embark on twelve weeks of legal indoctrination alongside future Navy and Marine Corps judge advocates. Finally, they will report to their future legal assignments, which are typically three-years in length and are located here in Charleston, throughout the continental United States, or at commands in Honolulu, Hawaii and Juneau, Alaska.
Charleston School of Law experiential learning opportunities sends students from the classroom to the front lines of the professional legal system. Students participate in externships, internships, pro bono service, clinics and community service projects. The experience provides the next generation of legal professionals with practical, hands-on skills.
Charleston School of Law presented its inaugural “Community Partner of the Year Award” to Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services and the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General at Saturday’s Commencement ceremony. The award was established to recognize two employers—one in the private sector and another in the public sector—that go the extra mile in providing educational and mentorship opportunities to students.
Last spring, the Charleston School of Law and the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General formally created a new partnership that established a new court-martial mock trial competition for law students. The competition will be hosted between Charleston Law and the Coast Guard JAG, Office of the Chief Prosecutor.
The agreement created the court-martial competition but also memorializes the parties’ desire to continue its successful externship program in which second- and third-year law students help the local Staff Judge Advocate at the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy by providing legal services to the Coast Guard in North Charleston.
The Charleston School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school nationally recognized for its student-centric culture. Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing students for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession. Charleston Law is one of only two law schools in South Carolina.
Mental health clinician Briana Suhr will have office hours Tuesday in the Student Affairs suite on the 1st floor from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The CONNECT student group will meet Tuesday at 12 p.m. in Room 221. Join in on this student-directed opportunity to share and to support each other.
