Homefront Rising is a non-partisan initiative that encourages and trains military spouses to speak up and get involved in the political process through advocacy and public service. In advance of the annual conference in May 2021, we are excited...
MSJDN supports military families during service and through the transition into life as a veteran family. One of MSJDN’s core missions is to educate the public about the challenges faced by career-minded military spouses and their families, including the...
On June 6, 2019, the Supreme Court of Washington issued an order amending Admission and Practice Rules (APR) 3 to create a pathway to practice law for attorney spouses of active duty military personnel stationed in the state. The...
Homefront Rising is an annual non-partisan conference that encourages and trains military spouses to speak up and get involved in the political process through advocacy and public service. This year, the Military Spouse J.D. Network partnered with Veterans Campaign...
On February 22nd, the California Supreme Court approved amendments to the Rules of Court, including the adoption of Rule 9.41.1, which establishes special admission for Registered Military Spouse Attorneys. Rule 9.41.1 creates a new special admissions category specific to...
Two inspiring MSJDN members are among the newly announced nominees for the 2019 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. Join us in congratulating Harriet O’Neal and Crystal Cornwall on their nominations which highlight their professional accomplishments and...
Interested in exercising your leadership skills and making a difference for military families? Have you always wanted to work for a non-profit? Consider serving on MSJDN’s Board of Directors and help shape the future of our organization. Nominations for...
Washington is home to almost 70,000 active duty military personnel and 20,000 reservists, along with their families. The legal community in the state has long embraced the military community through programs like the Veterans Project with the Northwest Justice...
Efforts to enact a military spouse attorney licensing accommodation in California have been underway since the founding of the Military Spouse J.D. Network (MSJDN) in 2011. In the meantime, 33 other jurisdictions have adopted rule changes to reduce barriers...
In 2013, the Military Spouse JD Network began an annual survey of military spouses to gather information on licensing, employment, PCSing, and other important issues for military spouse attorneys. This year’s Annual Military Spouse Attorney Survey marks the sixth round of collection of this...
In 2016, Georgia adopted a policy and process for military spouse attorneys to petition for a waiver of the existing rules for admission. Harriet O’Neal, a MSJDN member living in Georgia due to her husband’s military assignment, was denied admission to...
Why should you attend Making the Right Moves? And what is Making the Right Moves anyway? All your questions are answered here! Making the Right Moves (MRM) is MSJDN’s annual professional development conference created specifically for the needs of military spouse attorneys and law...
California is home to the largest concentration of military personnel in the country. The legal community in the state has long embraced servicemembers and their families through programs like Swords to Ploughshares Legal Services and the Legal Aid Foundation of...
On September 10, 2018, the Georgia Supreme Court issued an order in the Matter of Harriet O’Neal. The order vacated the Board of Bar Examiner’s decision denying Harriet’s admission to the Georgia Bar and remanded her petition back to...
Each year, MSJDN celebrates Founders’ Day to acknowledge the beginning of our organization and the advancements achieved for military spouse attorneys since our founding in 2011. Below, we have collected the events currently on calendar (click on the links...
Summary of 2017 MSJDN Annual Survey Results by Sanya Sarich Kerksiek The Military Spouse JD Network has released the results of its fifth annual survey on military spouse attorney demographics and careers. MSJDN developed the survey to help assess...
The past few months have been full of farewells in my household. After six years on the East Coast, the Navy decided it was time for us to return to the California sunshine. While I am very fortunate to...
MSJDN is excited to announce that the 2018 Professional Excellence Award will be presented to military spouse attorney Cheryl Mason at the Annual Reception on May 17th. Cheryl, known to her colleagues as Cheri, is an experienced attorney and leader, the...
Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to help us spotlight employers that are going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for MSJDN’s Members’ Choice Award for doing just that, by members...
Military spouse attorneys often have to place their own careers on hold as they move around the globe to accompany their service member on their military assignments. Too often, dreams of a career in the legal profession are sacrificed...
Over the last year, I’ve used my space in the newsletter to talk about some of the characteristics of military spouse attorneys that I’ve observed during my involvement with MSJDN: Service: Military spouse attorneys are incredibly committed to pro...
By Cristina Olson On March 21, 2018, the Supreme Court of Nevada issued an Order amending Supreme Court Rule 49 to provide temporary certification to practice law for attorney spouses of active duty military personnel. The new rule will...
Today, the Supreme Court of the State of Nebraska approved an amendment to Neb. Ct. R. 3-119, with an effective date of March 14, 2018. This amendment to Neb. Ct. R. 3-119 of the Rules of the Supreme Court...
Five of our incredible MSJDN members are among the newly announced nominees for the 2018 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. Join us in congratulating Stefany Buckley, Bobbie Collins, Kaiti Smith Dean, Tricia Petek, and Anna Blanch...
“So I can just marry someone in the military and I don’t have to take the bar?” “I took the bar here, so should everyone else.” “Just do pro bono.” “You can be a realtor while you live here.”...
On November 15, 2017, the military and legal communities came together for a night of networking and connections. Sponsored by Mayer Brown and White & Case, MSJDN was thrilled to work with Hiring Our Heroes, the American Bar Association, and...
I’m happy to report that the hard work of MSJDN’s volunteers continues as we move toward the end of 2017. Applications are open for the 2018 MSJDN mentoring program and the annual military spouse attorney survey has just gone...
Nebraska is home to Offutt Air Force Base, headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command, the Air Force Weather Agency, and the 55th Wing of the Air Combat Command, as well as several National Guard and recruiting posts. The legal community in the state has long...
With apologies to our awesome MSJDN Communications team, I’m writing this month’s letter the day before the newsletter goes out because I knew I wouldn’t want to write anything until after the Making the Right Moves conference was over....
Making the Right Moves (MRM) is right around the corner and it’s bigger and better than ever! MSJDN’s annual conference is the only one of its kind, designed specifically to support professional development for military spouse attorneys. Whether you...
Military Spouse JD Network is now accepting nominations for the 2017 Exceptional Service and Volunteer Service Awards through Friday, August 18th. The Exceptional Service Award recognizes a MSJDN member who exemplifies service to others in the workplace or community....
It is my great honor to serve as the President of the Military Spouse JD Network for the 2017-2018 year. Since joining MSJDN in 2012, I’ve been fortunate to meet many amazing military spouse attorneys with compelling stories of...
On Sunday, June 11, 2017, during MSJDN’s annual Board retreat weekend at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia, President Libby Jamison presented State Licensing Director and Board Member Karen Scanlan with the Mary Reding Smith Excellence in...
Connecticut is home to several key military installations, including the Coast Guard Academy and Naval Submarine Base New London. For many military spouse attorneys stationed in the state, it’s been a struggle to maintain a legal career during a family’s...
On June 14th, Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) hosted the Military Spouse Employment Summit to focus the conversation on what it means to be a dual-income military family in the 21st century. The half-day event unveiled the results of the...
On Wednesday, May 10th, MSJDN members and supporters from across the country gathered to celebrate another year of accomplishments, including the milestone achievement of licensing victories in 25 jurisdictions. Hosted by Nelson Mullins in their stunning D.C. office overlooking...
by Maria Campbell MSJDN is thrilled to announce that the 2017 Professional Excellence Award will be presented to member Rebecca Bresnik at the Annual Reception on May 10th. Rebecca Bresnik is Assistant Chief Counsel for International Matters at NASA,...
The Military Spouse JD Network is a volunteer-run organization dedicated to supporting military families in the legal profession. An active Board of Directors oversees all of MSJDN’s programs and engagements that are then put into action by our committee leadership. Our...
Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to help us spotlight employers going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for the 2017 MSJDN Members’ Choice Award by members who told us in...
On March 14th, MSJDN Treasurer Katherine Goyette was witness to a historic bill signing in Lansing, Michigan. Governor Snyder conducted a ceremonial signing of HB 5288 and HB 5289, assigned Public Act 423-424 (2016), granting military spouse attorneys a temporary...
Six of our awesome MSJDN members are among the newly announced nominees for the 2017 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. Join us in congratulating Patricia Bredlau, JinYoung Englund, Katherine Goyette, Alexia Palacios Peters, Laura Russoniello, and Lindsey Savage...
As the Military Spouse JD Network continues to advocate across the country for reduced licensing barriers and increased employment opportunities, we are often asked to provide details about military spouses in the legal profession. Although we can extrapolate some data about military families from the...
Georgia is home to many military installations, including Fort Benning, Fort Stewart, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Robins Air Force Base, and Coast Guard Air Station Savannah. For many military spouse attorneys stationed in the state, it’s been a struggle...
Why should you attend Making the Right Moves? And what is Making the Right Moves anyway? All your questions are answered here! Making the Right Moves (MRM) is the annual professional development conference from MSJDN created specifically for the needs of military spouse attorneys....
Thanking Our Fantastic Sponsors & Supporters of Military Spouse Attorneys MSJDN would like to take a moment to extend our heartfelt thanks to this year’s Making the Right Moves sponsors. We appreciate so very much the support for this event...
Newman’s Own® Awards Totaling $200,000 Presented to Five Military Non-Profit Organizations General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Recognizes Winners in Pentagon Ceremony Today, the Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN) was honored as one of five non-profit organizations...
The Kansas Supreme Court adopted a new licensing rule granting a temporary permit to practice law for military spouse attorneys stationed in Kansas alongside their service member. Rule 712A marks the 20th jurisdiction to enact a military spouse attorney licensing accommodation since the Military...
Earlier this month, four members of the Military Spouse JD Network Board of Directors traveled to San Francisco to take part in the American Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. Over the course of a few short but busy days, they spread the...
Over the July 4th weekend, First Lady Michelle Obama was interviewed by the Military Times in recognition of New York becoming the 50th state to enact legislation addressing license portability for military spouses. As part of the interview, the...
Each year, the Military Spouse JD Network marks our anniversary on June 14 with Founders’ Day. Members around the country started celebrating last week with gatherings in Washington, California, and Virginia – and the festivities will continue for the coming month as we recognize five...
Communications: There’s never a dull day on the Communications Committee! From updating our social media sites (check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) to pitching stories to the press to making sure members are kept up to date via...
MSJDN is excited to announce the return of Homefront Rising this month! In partnership with Veterans Campaign and the Atlantic Council, Homefront Rising will co-host the Women’s Symposium, two days of education and training for female military spouses and veterans...
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Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to nominate employers going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. During past month, we have put the Employer Spotlight on each of the nominees to tell the stories of those supporting military spouses in...
By Rachel Hsiao Military spouses have to be flexible. It’s a requirement of the military lifestyle. That requirement of flexibility crosses over to all aspects of life- particularly the professional life. It can be difficult to find an employer who is...
Military spouse attorneys often have to place their own careers on hold as they constantly move around the globe to accompany their servicemember on their military assignments. Too often, dreams of a career in the legal profession are sacrificed when they...
MSJDN is thrilled to announce the featured speaker for our upcoming Annual Reception on May 12th. U.S. Air Force Major General Sami D. Said, husband of attorney and MSJDN member Tara Said, will deliver remarks on the meaningful impact MSJDN...
MSJDN is excited to announce that the 2016 Professional Excellence Award will be presented to military spouse attorney Donna Huneycutt at the Annual Reception on May 12th. Donna is co-owner and Chief Operating Officer at WWC, a woman owned consulting firm focused...
Join us for our Annual Reception on Thursday, May 12, 2016, as we celebrate five incredible years of change and progress for military spouses in the legal profession. This year’s reception will be held at the headquarters of the Association...
I’m sure you’ve explored every nook and cranny of the MSJDN website, right? If not, take a few minutes to check out some of the great resources, including the jobs board, member discounts, past webinars, a document library, and much...
Military spouses who accompany their servicemembers to Oregon can now obtain a temporary license to practice law in the state under Rule for Admission of Attorneys 18.05. The new rule, which went in to effect on March 1, 2016, was initiated in 2013, when U.S....
Last year, the first ever Veterans’ Legal Career Fair took place in Washington, D.C with the goal of matching veteran and military spouse attorneys with law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies. Hosted by Orrick, the event was a...
MSJDN was founded in 2011 and will celebrate its 5th anniversary this June. In those 5 years, remarkable change has occurred for military spouse attorneys seeking to continue their careers while accompanying their servicemembers on assignments across the states...
On January 21st, we introduced you to seven amazing military spouse attorneys nominated during the initial round of the 2016 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year (MSOY) program. Thanks to your support and votes during that round,...
Seven talented MSJDN members are among the newly announced nominees for the 2016 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. Join us in congratulating Katherine Goyette, Emily Macey, Ashley Ludovicy-Donahue, Michelle Mance, Anna Rabe, Leigh Searl, and Natalie...
2015 was an incredibly busy and productive year for MSJDN and military spouse attorneys around the globe! January 2015 started with the good news that six military spouse attorneys were nominated for the 2015 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse...
Earlier this year, the Military Spouse JD Network put out a call for nominations for the 2015 MSJDN Exceptional Service Award to recognize a member for going above and beyond the call of duty to serve others. Many deserving military...
As the Military Spouse JD Network continues to push for licensing changes and increased employment opportunities, we are often asked to provide details about military spouses in the legal profession. Although we can extrapolate some data about military families from the Department of...
By Melissa Guggisberg Last month, military spouse attorneys traveled from around the country to gather in Seattle, WA for the 3rd annual “Making the Right Moves” Conference for the Military Spouse Attorney Network (MSJDN.) The event was graciously hosted by Bracewell...
By Rachel Hsiao As a military spouse, having a career is not easy. As a military spouse who is also an attorney? I am sure you are all aware of the challenges and obstacles we face. The option I...
The Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN) is proud to announce that Kentucky has taken a significant step in removing licensing barriers for military spouses residing within its borders. This month, the Kentucky Supreme Court amended its admission rules to include...
Earlier this year, MSJDN launched a redesigned website, featuring a refreshed look and feel. We are excited to announce that the continuing work on the functionality and features of the site has been completed, resulting in an upgraded online experience...
By Tara Said October 5, 2015 – a day that will live forever in the memories of a group of MSJDN attorneys and their spouses! Twelve MSJDN attorneys were sworn into the United States Supreme Court, sponsored by Judge Patricia Millett...
By Kate Stapleton By now, lessons from Sheryl Sandberg’s 2013 book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead have become part of the common vernacular of working women. We lean into our careers early on; we seek...
Thanking Our Fantastic Sponsors and Supporters of Military Spouse Attorneys MSJDN would like to take a moment to extend our heartfelt thanks to this year’s Making the Right Moves sponsors. We appreciate so very much the support for our organization...
#USAADIGIMIL Last week, I had the privilege to represent MSJDN at the two day DigitalMilEx conference hosted by USAA in San Antonio, Texas. The USAA team put together an incredible two days of speakers and education for digital influencers in...
On Thursday, September 17, 2015, the Maryland Court of Appeals issued an order adopting a new rule aimed at reducing licensing barriers for military spouse attorneys seeking to practice law while relocating alongside a service member due to a change in duty...
MSJDN’s annual career conference is scheduled for October 23, 2015 in Seattle, WA. Hosted at the offices of Bracewell and Giuliani LLP, Making the Right Moves will be a full day of education and networking opportunities for military spouses...
Indiana has become the latest of a growing number of jurisdictions to support military spouses in the legal professional through a licensing accommodation. On August 17, 2015, the Indiana Supreme Court authorized the state’s Board of Law Examiners to waive the minimum...
By Rachel Hsiao We have all been there – our career or the military? We face a decision between which side of our relationship will supersede the other. Our spouse’s (the service member’s) military career or our professional career as an...
MSJDN’s 2015-2016 leadership team – including the Board of Directors for both MSJDN and the Military Spouse JD Foundation, as well as MSJDN Committee Chairs – met on July 11th and 12th at the historic Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia...
By Tara Gaston “In this day, successful attorneys must have websites, a social media presence, and really put themselves out there!” “In this day, servicemembers and their families must be careful in the information they release in the event that it...
by Kaiti Smith Dean At this year’s Kentucky Bar Association Annual Convention in June, I had the pleasure of speaking before the Kentucky Supreme Court alongside MSJDN President Elect Josie Beets. The Commonwealth of Kentucky included a Proposed Amendment to...
Last month, the first ever Veterans’ Legal Career Fair took place in Washington, D.C with the goal of matching veteran and military spouse attorneys with corporate legal departments, law firms, other private sector employers, and government agencies. Orchestrated by Orrick,...
Each year, the Military Spouse JD Network celebrates our anniversary on June 14 with Founders’ Day. Leading up to this year’s celebration of our founding, we are taking to social media to share the stories at the core of our organization...
“You can and you must!” This was the opening message delivered to the attendees at Homefront Rising, a political boot camp for military spouses interested in running for office co-hosted by MSJDN and In Gear Career. Jocelyn Benson, a...
Looking for volunteer opportunities? As we kick off the new MSJDN year, we are looking for a few good men and women to continue to grow and develop the organization. Getting involved is a wonderful way to learn new skills...
The Military Spouse JD Network is an all-volunteer organization focused on supporting military spouses in the legal profession. All of MSJDN’s works are overseen by an active Board of Directors and put in to action by our committee leadership. Our...
Since 2011, MSJDN has experienced unprecedented growth and success. In just a few short years, we’ve expanded from two members to connect with over 1,000 military spouse attorneys and supporters around the globe. Our licensing accommodation efforts have resulted in...
In December 2012, Arizona State Rule 38(i) was issued, allowing qualified attorneys married to servicemembers stationed in the state to apply for admission to Arizona bar without examination. This support from the Arizona legal community acknowledges that military spouses should...
MSJDN proudly announces the launch of a redesigned version of its website, www.msjdn.org. Key features of the new site include public and private directories, an upgraded member section featuring a jobs board and member-only forums, and streamlined access to resources...
The Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN) is thrilled to announce that Prudential Financial, Inc. is our newest Homefront to Hired partner. Prudential, headquartered in Newark, NJ, is one of the world’s largest financial institutions with about 47,000 employees in...
As if life in the Virgin Islands wasn’t already appealing enough, the Supreme Court of the United States Virgin Islands has adopted a new rule to ease licensing barriers for military spouse attorneys in their jurisdiction. Today, the Court...
Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to help us spotlight employers that are going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for MSJDN’s Members’ Choice Award for doing just that, by members...
MSJDN is excited to announce that the 2015 Professional Excellence Award will be presented to Christina Guerola Sarchio at the Annual Reception on May 6th in D.C. Currently a partner in Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP’s Washington, DC office,...
At the MSJDN Annual Reception on May 6th, Lieutenant General Flora Darpino will accept the 2015 MSJDN Homefront to Hired Award on behalf of the Army’s Office of The Judge Advocate General (OTJAG). This award recognizes law firms and...
Editor’s Note: MSJDN asked its members to help us spotlight employers that are going above and beyond for military spouse attorneys. Each employer in this series was nominated for MSJDN’s Members’ Choice Award for doing just that, by members...
Homefront Rising returns to D.C.! MSJDN and In Gear Career will co-host a full day of inspiration and education on May 6, 2015 at the historic Army Navy Club in Washington, D.C. This marks the second year the innovative political education seminar for military spouses will...
MSJDN’s efforts and successes continue to gather attention across the country. Catch up on the stories being told about military spouse attorneys and the removal of barriers for employment in the legal profession. In February, the Colorado Supreme Court website...
