Expert: Matt - 5/9/2009

Question
K, so I just finished my sophomore year of college.  My desire after graduating is to go on to law school and become a JAG.  My questions are these:

What programs are out there for students like me who desire to become officers, other than ROTC (in any service)?  I have heard of PLC and OCC, are there any programs like these in the Navy, Army, and Air Force?  If so, what are they called?
Also, in your opinion, what is the best path to take?  To enlist after graduating and be enlisted through grad school and then seek a direct commission once I finish law school(is it even possible to switch just like that); do PLC, OCC etc.; or just wait until I finish law school and then seek a direct commission?
Finally, what service has the most JAGs and how do other services compare in regards to total number of JAGs?  What I mean is where is a JAG appointment going to be most competitive and where would it be easiest to receive?

Sorry, I know that was a lot to ask.  Thanks.

Answer
The JAG program is a pretty sweet deal if you do it right. As far as setting yourself up for it, I really only know about the Marine Corps JAG path. I have a few friends who did it.  Basically, they went to PLC or OCC during undergrad and got commissioned as 2nd LTs upon undergrad graduation. This is where the deal starts to get sweet...Then, after their grad and commissioning, the Marine Corps paid for them to go to Law School for the next two years, so essentially they were usmc officers, but their job was to go to school and get a law degree. Once they finished law school, they reported to TBS with the rest of us (but they outranked us because of their two years of service already!) and after TBS they all went their separate ways to begin their time committment ( its either 4 or 6 years ). Sorry I dont know much about the other services JAG programs, I dont wanna give you bad info. Hope this helps with the usmc jag stuff atleast...good luck!