2025 Summer Law Clerk Program: Judge Advocate Panel

Judge Advocates from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, & Marines discuss what it is like to be a lawyer in the military and how to join the JAG Corps on Active Duty or in the Reserve.

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Speakers

Maj Aneisha Bell, Air Force Judge Advocate 

Major Aneisha T. Bell serves as the Chief of Recruiting for the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps, in the Professional Development Directorate, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Department of the Air Force. She manages the judge advocate recruiting programs, including all recruiting communications and materials, and provides technical assistance and policy guidance for all prospective judge advocate applicants. Prior to this assignment, she served as victims’ counsel, deployed deputy staff judge advocate, and assistant staff judge advocate.

Maj Bell received her commission through the Direct Appointment Program and entered active duty in January 2018.  While in law school, she participated in the University of South Carolina School of Law Juvenile Justice Clinic.  She also interned at the City of Columbia City Attorney’s Office, Richland County Public Defender’s office, and the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina interning for the Honorable Judge Margaret B. Seymour. Maj Bell is admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of Alabama and the United States Supreme Court.

Capt Chelsea A Lucas, Marine Corps Judge Advocate

Capt Chelsea A. Lucas is currently stationed at Marine Corps Recruiting Command in Quantico, VA. She is presently assigned as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate and Law Programs Manager. Previously, she served as the Executive Officer for Headquarters Battalion Marine Corps Base Hawaii from June 2023 to June 2024. Capt Lucas simultaneously served as the Service Company Commander beginning in March 2023. Prior to taking company command, Capt Lucas was the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for Marine Corps Base Hawaii from May 2021 to March 2023. Before her time as the DSJA, Capt Lucas was attached to the Legal Services Support Team as a Trial Counsel from October 2020 to May 2021. Capt Lucas is originally from New York and attended the University of San Diego where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Political Science in May 2014. She attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctorate in May 2018. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar.

Capt Lucas competed on the NCAA Division I Women’s Rowing team at the University of San Diego from 2010 to 2014 where she was named to the West Coast Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2012 and 2013. Capt Lucas served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and as Chair for the Out-of-State Student Council. During law school at the University of South Carolina, she was a Member of the Mock Trial Bar, served as a Representative of the Student Bar Association, practiced as a Student Attorney in the University’s Criminal Defense Clinic, and edited a manuscript for the South Carolina Bar Association. Additionally, Capt Lucas clerked at the law office of Quinn and Hardy and completed an externship at the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate on United States Army installation, Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Capt Lucas completed Officer Candidate Course 222 at Officer Candidate School, Quantico, Virginia and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in August 2016. In the summer of 2017 Capt Lucas conducted on-the-job training at the Legal Services Support Section on Marine Corps Base Quantico. Capt Lucas then attended The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia where she graduated fourth overall from Alpha Company 1-20 in April 2020 earning meritorious career designation. Following her training at The Basic School, she then completed the Force Fitness Instructor Course in Quantico, VA with a certificate of commendation as the honor graduate. Capt Lucas then attended Naval Justice School in Newport Rhode Island where she earned the Trial Advocacy Award for BLC 20030.

Capt Lucas served as a legal augment for PHIBRON Five on the USS Essex LHD-2 during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2022. While aboard the Essex, she provided staff judge advocate support to 7th Marines, the USS Essex Captain and crew, and international allies and partners during the conduct of the exercise scenario. Capt Lucas also supported Exercise Spartan Trident in January of 2022 and September of 2023 by serving as a Staff Judge Advocate for 3dMLR throughout the execution of the exercise. In November and December of 2022, Capt Lucas served as a legal augment at INDOPACOM in support of exercise Pacific Fury and in support of operations for the J06.

Capt Lucas is authorized to wear the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Lt. Peyton Nedley, Coast Guard Judge Advocate

Lieutenant Peyton Nedley serves as the Accessions & Resource Program Manager for the Coast Guard Legal Program (CGJAG), overseeing the Coast Guard’s legal recruiting and judge advocate accessions.

She previously served as a staff attorney in the Office of Claims and Litigation, where she was responsible for representing the Coast Guard in federal civil litigation nationwide in coordination with the Department of Justice. She also held a collateral duty as Military Aide to the Judge Advocate General and Chief Counsel of the Coast Guard.

Lieutenant Nedley joined the Coast Guard as a Direct Commission Lawyer in 2021. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Political Science and History and received her J.D. and LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Duke University School of Law.

Lieutenant Nedley’s individual military awards include the Coast Guard Achievement Medal and the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbon (2) with Operational Distinguishing Device.

She is a Tar Heel from Wilmington, North Carolina, and currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband.

Maj Vy T. Nguyen, Army Judge Advocate

Major Vy T. Nguyen commissioned in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 2018. Prior to commissioning, she served as an Honors Program Attorney Advisor for the Department of Justice Krome (Detained) Immigration Court in Miami, FL. She received a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Toronto in 2012 and dual-degree J.D./M.A. in International Affairs from the American University Washington College of Law and School of International Service in 2015. She currently serves as a Branch Chief in the Government Appellate Division at Fort Belvoir, VA. Her prior assignments include: Defense Counsel, U.S. Army Trial Defense Service, Vilseck, Germany; Military Justice Advisor, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, Fort Drum, NY; Command Judge Advocate/Legal Advisor, Kandahar Airfield/Train, Advise, Assist Command–South, Afghanistan; and Chief, National Security Law Attorney, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, NY. Her military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal with Combat Device, Joint Meritorious Unit Citation, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and NATO Operation Resolute Support Medal. MAJ Nguyen was the U.S. Army recipient of the 2021-2022 ABA Outstanding Young Military Lawyer Award. She is a member of the Virginia bar and admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Virginia, U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and U.S. Supreme Court.

LCDR James Wu Zhu, Navy Judge Advocate

Lieutenant Commander James Wuzhu is the Legal Assistance Department Head at Region Legal Service Naval District Washington in Washington, DC. He commissioned under the student program on 29 April 2015 and graduated from Officer Development School in November 2015 and Naval Justice School in March 2016. He was previously at Region Legal Service Office Southwest in San Diego, California, from March 2016 to October 2017, Defense Service Office West in San Diego, California, from October 2017 to March 2018, and Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic Branch Office Newport, Rhode Island, from April 2018 to July 2020, where he was first the Naval Station Newport staff judge advocate until May 2019, then deployed on USNS COMFORT as staff judge advocate to Commander, Task Force FOUR NINE, in fall 2019, and ended as legal assistance attorney. He was the victims’ legal counsel on Naval Base Guam, with an area of responsibility covering Guam, Okinawa, Diego Garcia, and Singapore, from August 2020 to August 2022. He completed JPME Phase I in March He was an appellate government counsel at the Office of the Judge Advocate General Code 46 from August 2022 to June 2025.

Lieutenant Commander Wuzhu earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies-Political Science, and Linguistics, with a minor in the Study of Religion from the University of California, San Diego, in 2011. He earned Bachelor of Science in Engineering in electrical engineering and Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences degrees from Arizona State University in 2024. In 2012, he earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California, in 2012. In 2015, he earned Juris Doctor and Master of Laws in International and Comparative Laws degrees from Duke University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the State of California and the District of Columbia.

Lieutenant Commander Wuzhu is authorized to wear the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (x2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (x2), National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Humanitarian Service Medial, Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Medal, Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon, and Rifle Marskmanship Ribbon.

Allison Starnes-Anglea (Moderator)

Presented by: Younger Lawyers Division

Thank you to our Sponsor

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• Complimentary for FBA Members & Non-Members