After the JAG Corps: Navigating Your Career Progression

Will Fischbach and I spent nearly 80 minutes talking about his life, schooling, his time as an Army JAG, private practice, and public service. While editing of our conversation I came to realize the relevance of everything we discussed: Will’s willingness to do anything that he was asked to do in the Army has shaped his approach to private practice in Phoenix, AZ; he is an attorney who is not afraid to take on various types of cases.

As Ben Grimes will tell you, he never set out to be an attorney, but as a Blackhawk pilot who realized that continued service in the Army meant transitioning out of the cockpit to staff duty, decided to become the "staffiest"of all staff officers by becoming a JAG. A self-described "legal ethics geek," Ben then jumped at the opportunity to provide professional ethics advice to attorneys at the Department of Justice, a job which he held for almost seven years. However, realizing that he missed leading, Ben has now become a leadership coach with a focus on helping lawyers and firms break through dysfunction.

Joe Schrantz, VP of Business Development at Dauntless Discovery, discusses his career in the Marine Corps, transitioning into retirement, remote work challenges, and the role of contract attorneys at Dauntless Discovery.

Today, we hear from LCDR Jordan Foley, an active-duty judge advocate and founder and CEO of Let's Chow, a 501(c)(3) that gives veterans thinking about going into the food truck or brick-and-mortar restaurant business the resources and space to discern whether the food service industry is for them and if so, gives them the funding to launch their business. This podcast is geared toward anyone thinking about starting or entering the non-profit world. Jordan's LinkedIn profile is located at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-j-foley-6b980818b/. To learn about Let's Chow, visit https://www.letschow.org/.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2022. #1 played episode. For many, retiring from the military and leaving the only career one has had since graduating from college or law school is tough, but even tougher for those whose career comes to an abrupt end due to adversity.  In this episode, I talk to Jay Morse whose career came to such an end.  Accused of misconduct Jay's fall from grace was humiliating as it was frustrating given the nature of the allegations, the publicity surrounding them, and the lack of any viable way to clear his name, restore his reputation or continue his military career given that he has consistently maintained his innocence.  After a year or so of being subject to the military investigatory and administrative processes with which we are all familiar, he quietly left the Army in 2015.  In the intervening seven years, Jay shares how he has dealt with this adversity.  His LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymorse1/.

Ritesh Srivastava, former Navy JAG Corps officer and now corporate attorney, discusses his diverse career, investigating healthcare fraud, transitioning to compliance at Avoneer Pharmaceuticals, and the importance of continuous growth and adaptability in one's career.

In this episode, retired Navy Captain Alex Whitaker tells us how he ended up back at his alma mater in an administration role before eventually becoming the President of King University in Tennessee where he has been for the past 7 years. He also talks about the state of higher education today, its challenges and rewards. A great primer for any JAG (or non-JAG) who may be interested in pursuing a career in higher education when they leave the service. Alex's LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderwhitaker4/.

Last week, I had the opportunity to chat with retired Captain Dan D’Alesio, who made Jacksonville, FL, his home after retiring from the Navy in 1998. In this episode, Dan talks about his journey into and out of uniform, the things he has done and thought about doing in his second career, taking the Florida bar exam, and the retired Jax JAG community. Dan’s LI profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-j-d-alesio-jr-esq-2b702b21.

In 17 years as a lawyer, Joanne Neighbors has done a lot. After serving in the Army JAG Corps for approximately seven and a half years, she then moved onto civil service for about 10 years before breaking into banking world. Join us as Joanne talks about her incredible journey and what she did to get here.

This week, J. Lee Marsh recounts his journey from the United States Naval Academy, where he became enamored with the law, to submarines to the Navy JAG Corps and finally to becoming a judge in Florida. Judge Marsh's profile is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-lee-marsh-2991424/.