Santoemma sworn into JAG Coast Guard

Charleston School of Law graduate Sofia Santoemma (’26) was commissioned as an officer with the U.S. Coast Guard JAG on Monday. The ceremony was held at the Charleston Naval Base Memorial in Riverfront Park.

Santoemma served under Lieutenant Commander Andrew P. Taylor at the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy and later at the Office of the Chief Prosecutor.

“It has been such a pleasure working with Ms. Santoemma,” said Major Taylor. “She is a fantastic servant leader—the future of CG JAG is in good hands.”

“Lieutenant Commander Taylor was a phenomenal mentor,” said Santoemma. “I could not have asked for a better person to be in that role. It was educational. There were so many cool opportunities just from going out to different Coast Guard cutters and seeing different training and sitting in on meetings and calls. And he really just tried to give me the full Coast Guard experience.”

Santoemma was an active member of the student body at Charleston Law, serving as Student Bar Association Vice President, Child Advocacy and Family Law Society, Latina/o Law Student Association, and volunteer Guardian Ad Litem in Charleston County. She received the Law School’s William Bennett Regan Award and was elected to the Pro Bono Hall of Fame.

Santoemma said she arrived at Charleston Law convinced she wanted to practice family law, then she stumbled on the internship opportunity through the Career Services CORE portal.

“I sat for the informational interview with Lieutenant Commander Taylor, and he really sold the opportunity,” she said. “So, I started interning my summer after 1L, and I was fully hooked. Experiencing the camaraderie, seeing the work behind the scenes, and working throughout the Coast Guard, I knew this was what I wanted to do.”

The experiential learning opportunities at Charleston Law allow students to explore a variety of legal professions to find their passion.“Try it, even if you don’t know anything about it,” she said. “I had no idea what JAG was, what it entailed, or what the work would look like. That’s the point: to learn and get experience.”

Since the summer of 2024, I have been a legal intern with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) at the Office of the Chief Prosecutor (OCP) and the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA).

Santoemma, a Madison, Connecticut native, is a 2023 graduate from the University of Connecticut with her degree in English and Literature. 

Santoemma will relocate to Seattle, Washington, to serve as a Special Victims’ Counsel with the Office of Member Advocacy. This fall, she will direct mission officer training in New London, Connecticut.