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Our Mission

MSJDN supports military spouses in the legal profession by advocating for licensing accommodations for military spouse attorneys; educating the public about the challenges faced by career-minded military spouses and their families; encouraging the hiring of military spouses; and providing a network connecting military spouse attorneys with each other and their supporters.

The Military Lifestyle

Military families are geographically insecure, moving every two to three years, often with tours overseas. These moves are based on the needs of the U.S. government, and are mandatory for the service-member. Although the spouse and children may technically refuse to move, this creates obvious hardships on families already often separated due to training and deployments.

The Legal Profession

Attorneys are required to be licensed in each state where they practice, a burdensome requirement when combined with the military lifestyle. Licensing can take up to a year for the application, character review, bar examination, and processing. Licensing can cost thousands of dollars in each jurisdiction. Gaps in employment must be justified on bar applications and can cause delays in admission. All of this is in addition to the search for a new job at the next duty station.

What this means for MSJDN members

It is not unusual for military spouse attorneys to have taken 3 or 4 different bar examinations. Less than 1/3 of our members have full-time legal employment. Half of our members are unemployed and actively looking for work, under-employed in non-attorney positions as paralegals/secretaries, or can only find part-time work. MSJDN members report that the biggest challenge to finding and keeping employment is frequent moves and lack of portable employment opportunities.

Latest News

Washington Call to Action: Submit a Comment by April 30th

Washington is home to almost 70,000 active duty military personnel and 20,000 reservists, along...

MSJDN Calls Upon California Supreme Court to Reconsider Proposed Military Spouse License

Efforts to enact a military spouse attorney licensing accommodation in California have been underway...

6th Annual Military Spouse Attorney Survey Seeks Data to Advance Advocacy Efforts

In 2013, the Military Spouse JD Network began an annual survey of military spouses to...

Military Spouse Attorney Wins Her Fight for Bar Admission in Georgia

In 2016, Georgia adopted a policy and process for military spouse attorneys to petition for a...

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