Meet Skylar, the Membership Committee Vice Chair
Building a Portable Career, Creating Opportunities, and Embracing the Unexpected
A CAREER WITHOUT A TRADITIONAL PATH
Skylar McKeith is a British-American lawyer, television commentator, entrepreneur, and military spouse whose career has never followed a traditional path. A self-employed lawyer specializing in UK immigration law, Skylar is licensed in England and Wales and currently practices from Oklahoma, working with clients around the world.
Alongside her legal practice, Skylar regularly provides legal and immigration analysis for the media. Earlier in her career, she worked as a television anchor and producer, and broadcasting has remained an important part of her professional life. She is also the co-founder of a technology startup and serves on the board of the Forgotten Sacrifices Project, a nonprofit preserving and sharing the stories of service members who died in the line of duty beyond combat.
“I’ve always been drawn to work that allows me to combine different interests and create something meaningful.”
FINDING A CAREER THAT MOVES WITH YOU
Skylar chose immigration law because she wanted work that would have a real and tangible impact on people’s lives.
“Immigration decisions affect where people can live, work, build their careers, and raise their families,” she says. “I enjoy being able to guide clients through what can otherwise be an incredibly complex process.”
Self-employment has given Skylar the flexibility to maintain her legal career while navigating military life and frequent relocations. She particularly enjoys the variety of working with clients around the world while pursuing interests in media, entrepreneurship, and volunteer work.
Skylar joined MSJDN in 2022, shortly after moving to the United States. As a UK-qualified solicitor who was not admitted to a U.S. state bar, she was looking for ways to continue developing her legal career.
“I was drawn to MSJDN because it offered a community of lawyers who understood the unique challenges of maintaining a legal career alongside military life,” Skylar says. “It gave me a way to connect with other military spouse attorneys, learn from their experiences, and better understand the professional opportunities available to me.”
THE MSJDN DIFFERENCE
Today, Skylar serves as Vice Chair of the Membership Committee, helping strengthen member engagement and retention while developing benefits and partnerships that provide meaningful value to MSJDN members.
Her own experience with MSJDN inspired her to volunteer and create practical opportunities for other members.
One initiative she is particularly proud of is MSJDN’s partnership with JD Advising. Skylar worked with JD Advising to develop a bar preparation benefit for MSJDN members and helped the company become an approved MyCAA SpouseWorks provider. Eligible military spouses can now use MyCAA SpouseWorks funding toward the JD Advising bar review package, including a choice of bar review course, jurisdiction-specific One-Sheets, and six hours of one-on-one tutoring.
“Given the significant cost of bar preparation, I was especially keen to make this type of support more accessible to military spouses.”
Moving forward, Skylar hopes to continue building partnerships that provide tangible professional and financial benefits to members.
“MSJDN has given me a strong sense of community, and I’ve really enjoyed being able to give back by helping create opportunities that can make a practical difference for other members.”
LIFE IN MILITARY FAMILIES
Skylar is married to an active duty Air Force officer, and the family has been stationed at RAF Lakenheath, Ellsworth AFB, and Vance AFB.
Rapid City and the Black Hills have been her favorite assignment so far.
“We really fell in love with the area and the community, and it became a special place for our family.”
Skylar enjoys the opportunity military life provides to experience places and communities her family might never otherwise have known. She and her husband have two young children, ages five and one.
Outside of work, Skylar enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, painting, and singing. Between her legal practice, media work, startup, volunteer commitments, and family life, there is rarely a dull moment.
LOOKING AHEAD
Skylar would love to see MSJDN continue expanding programming around career portability, remote work, entrepreneurship, and business development.
“Military spouses often have to approach their careers differently because of frequent moves,” she says. “Programs focused on building portable careers, developing a client base, networking, and creating alternative career opportunities could be incredibly valuable.”
For Skylar, building a successful military-spouse career doesn’t necessarily mean following a straight line. Sometimes it means creating your own path—and being willing to take that path somewhere new.
Read the Spotlight on Membership Vice Chair Skylar McKeith !