Affinity Groups Unite brown bag lunch attendees at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, VA. (Photo courtesy of author)
News & Notes
JAG Corps Affinity Groups
What They Are and Why They Exist
By Major Lynmarie Rivera and Mr. Fred L. Borch III
Mentorship is the bridge that connects the past, present, and future of the Corps.1
In the 1970s and 1980s, as more Black and female attorneys joined a predominantly White and male Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, they connected to help each other better navigate the world of Army law and lawyering.
Today, members of the JAG Corps have established volunteer JAG Corps “mentorship” groups that operate as non-Federal entity (NFE) volunteer organizations.2 These “affinity groups” propose to make the JAG Corps a more cohesive, unified institution—and, therefore, a stronger force in our Army.
This article looks at the goals of the five affinity groups and describes the mentorship volunteer opportunities they offer to our Corps.
Origin of Affinity Groups
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the JAG Corps united to formalize affinity groups with the mission of building a better and stronger organization through the power of mentorship. Army Regulation 600-100, Army Profession and Leadership Policy, defines mentorship as “[a] voluntary and developmental relationship that exists between a person with greater experience and a person with less experience, characterized by mutual trust and respect.”3 Understanding that leaders must invest time to develop the next generation and guided by a strong sense of community, the founding members of the Hispanic Mentorship Group (HMG)4 envisioned facilitating mentorship relationships between junior judge advocates (JAs), paralegals, legal administrators, and senior leaders. Furthermore, the groups aimed to provide a space to discuss sensitive issues, embrace cultural differences, and assist members in embarking upon military life.
The JAG Corps Hispanic Mentorship Group (HMG) was the first affinity group to formalize in the spring of 2020, and the JAG Corps Asian-Pacific American Network (APAN) quickly followed.5 Since then, the Affinity Groups Unite (AGU), an NFE volunteer organization, has developed and grown to include five groups open to all ranks, races, ethnicities, cultures, and orientations: Athena’s Council Mentorship Group,6 Buffalo JAGs Mentorship Group,7 Hispanic Mentorship Group, JAG Corps Asian-Pacific American Network, and JAG Corps Pride Network.8 Dozens of members with diverse backgrounds actively participate in the groups.
Each affinity group has a specific mission and approach to help its members navigate unique challenges via mentorship and connection.
Purpose of Affinity Groups
The affinity groups create a sense of community by striving to facilitate mentorship relationships between members of our Corps. The overarching strategic vision is “to ensure that every member receives mentorship and information from experienced, caring senior mentors to inform their career and life decisions, resulting in increased satisfaction within the [JAG Corps].”9 Each group focuses on different interest areas and supports its members in different ways by hosting networking events and professional development sessions, sharing broadening opportunities, and highlighting opportunities for recognition.
(Credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi-stock.adobe.com)
Role of Affinity Groups
The affinity groups support their members’ leadership development by providing opportunities to serve as group coordinators for different events and foster camaraderie by allowing members to meet each other. Likewise, the affinity groups offer an opportunity to develop relationships with senior members in an informal setting. Social media is an essential tool that each group relies on to connect members across the globe for career advice, professional development, and to provide a space for members to discuss personal issues outside of the workplace. Moreover, enabling deeper relationships with legal administrators and paraprofessionals fosters collaboration both outside and inside the legal office.
Affinity groups also provide junior members with mentors who can provide personalized guidance and support. Mentors can identify similarities between themselves and their mentees and draw from their own personal and professional experiences to offer valuable insights into the nuances of the professional environment. By doing so, mentors help mentees recognize areas for growth and development that may not otherwise be immediately apparent. This tailored approach to mentorship enables mentees to improve their performance and increase their professional confidence.
Open and honest discussion, generation of ideas, and candid feedback are staples of these groups.
Conclusion
Mentorship is a powerful tool to build and preserve the JAG Corps’s legacy. Our responsibility is to inspire and guide the next generation of leaders and create safe spaces for collaboration and the discussion of ideas. Providing opportunities to discuss issues affecting legal professionals makes the Corps a better, stronger organization. We should continue to strive for excellence in mentorship by asking all leaders to mentor others in the organization and create spaces that “allow strong and institutionally successful role models from various cultures and backgrounds to inspire, influence, and advise them on the ways and means to succeed in America’s law firm.”10 TAL
MAJ Rivera is an Associate Professor in the Criminal Law Department at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Mr. Borch is the former Regimental Historian and Archivist for The Judge Advocate General’s Corps, and the former Professor of Legal History and Leadership at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Notes
1. Interview with First Lieutenant Rolando Mesa, 219th Officer Basic Course, in Charlottesville, Va. (May 24, 2023).
2. The views presented in this article do not constitute an official endorsement of the affinity groups as they are only intended to inform the Corps about the history and creation of these volunteer groups.
3. U.S. Dep’t of Army, Reg. 600-100, Army Profession and Leadership policy 31 (13 May 2024).
4. These founding members include Brigadier General Jaime Areizaga, Colonel (Retired) Luis Rodriguez, Colonel (Retired) Jose Cora, Colonel Javier Rivera, and Mr. Nelson Ponce.
5. The founding members of the Asian Pacific American Network include Colonel (Retired) Ku Fansu, Colonel Sue McConnell, and Colonel (Retired) Eugene Kim.
6. The founding members of the Athena’s Council Mentorship Group include Colonel (Retired) Kasia Stich and Colonel Jacqueline DeGaine.
7. The founding members of the Buffalo JAGs Mentorship Group include Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Paulette Burton, Chief Warrant Officer Three (Retired) Jessica Marrisette, and Colonel Tanasha Stinson.
8. The founding members of the JAG Pride Network include Captain Nell Robinson, Captain Shmuel Bushwick, and then-Major Vanessa Strobbe.
9. Colonel (Retired) Jose A. Cora, Hispanic Mentorship Group Mission, Vision, Governance and Strategic Initiatives Presentation to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, at slide 3 (Nov. 19, 2020) (unpublished PowerPoint presentation) (on file with authors).
10. Email from Colonel (Retired) Luis O. Rodriguez, to author (July 14, 2023) (on file with authors).