FY27 FUNDED LAW EDUCATION PROGRAM (FLEP) AND UNFUNDED LAW EDUCATION PROGRAM (ULEP) SELECTION BOARD

R 231508Z SEP 26
MARADMIN 441/26
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM//
SUBJ/FY27 FUNDED LAW EDUCATION PROGRAM (FLEP) AND UNFUNDED LAW
EDUCATION PROGRAM (ULEP) SELECTION BOARD//
REF/A/DOD/CMC/20241223//
REF/B/DOD/SECNAV/20190122//
REF/C/MCO/CMC/20190530//
REF/D/MCO/DOD/20210510//
REF/E/MCO/DOD/20210203//
REF/F/MSG/CMC/261400ZFEB2026//
REF/G/MSG/CMC/241230ZMAR2026//
NARR/REF A IS SECTION 2004 OF TITLE 10, U.S. CODE, DETAIL AS
STUDENTS AT LAW SCHOOLS; COMMISSIONED OFFICERS; CERTAIN ENLISTED
MEMBERS. REF B IS SECNAVINST 1520.7G, LAW EDUCATION PROGRAM. REF C
IS MCO 1524.1, MARINE CORPS GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM. REF D IS
MCO 1300.8 CH 1, MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT. REF E IS MCO
1001.65A, ACTIVE COMPONENT OFFICER RETENTION AND PRIOR SERVICE
ACCESSIONS. REF F IS MARADMIN 127/26 CHANGE 1 TO REQUIREMENT UPDATE
ON OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS FOR NON-PROMOTION BOARDS. REF G IS MARADMIN
066/26 CHANGE 1 TO THE ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES TO THE MARINE
CORPS PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST AND BODY COMPOSITION EVALUATION
PROCESS.//
POC/M. W. SCHONEWEIS/MAJ/HQMC CDSP/TEL: 703-693-9059/
EMAIL: [email protected]//
POC/D. T. DUMANOVSKY/MAJ/MMOA-3/USMC/TEL: 703-784-9285/
EMAIL: [email protected]//
POC/M. E. ALDRED/MAJ/MMOA-3/USMC/TEL: 703-784-9284/
EMAIL: [email protected]//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. Purpose. This message announces the Fiscal Year
(FY) 2027 Funded Law Education Program (FLEP) and Unfunded Law
Education Program (ULEP) board convening on 4 November 2026. This
message is to announce the programs, eligibility criteria, and
timelines for the FY27 FLEP and ULEP execution.
1.a. Major milestone timeline (read in two columns):
NLT Date Milestone
23 October 2026 Application deadline to include an LSAT score
04 November 2026 FLEP and ULEP board convenes
01 April 2027 Law School admission acceptance deadline
2. Background
2.a. Per reference (a), the Secretary of the Navy may detail
commissioned officers as students at accredited law schools in the
United States for a period of training leading to the degree of
juris doctor (JD). These students selected under these programs
would attend this period of training to then serve as a judge
advocate in the Marine Corps.
2.b. In accordance with reference (a), the law education
opportunities within the Department of War were expanded to ensure
that service members would be entitled to receive pay and allowances
while serving as a full-time student for both funded and unfunded
law education programs.
3. Non-Statutory Board Changes
3.a. In accordance with reference (f), effective 1 April 2026,
Headquarters Marine Corps sponsored non-promotion boards will have
access to official military personnel file (OMPF) photographs during
the conduct of non-promotion selection boards.
3.a.1. A photograph is considered current if the photograph is
taken 365 days prior to a selection board's convene date. It
remains the Marine's responsibility to ensure a current photograph
is in their Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) no later than 10
business days prior to the board's convene date for which they are
eligible.
3.a.2. Reference (g) modifies the Height and Weight requirement to
a Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) requirement. At present, there is no
method for the Digital Boardroom to pull current WHtR information
aside from an officer's official photograph or fitness reports.
Accordingly, Marines will not be viewed negatively solely because a
current WHtR measurement is not available to the board. However,
previous Height and Weight measurements contained within a Marine's
record will be considered, as well as any fitness reports that were
processed with a WHtR directed comment.
3.b. ULEP Changes
3.b.1. Starting in FY27, reservists may submit a return to active
duty (RAD) package for ULEP. If selected, they will RAD and lateral
move to the 44xx community as a 4401 student judge advocate. Once
the RAD process is complete, and the officer is in the active
component, they will begin to receive pay and entitlements.
3.b.2. Reservists who are not lawyers and not currently attending
law school are eligible to apply for ULEP. If selected, they will
RAD once they are accepted into law school and before they begin
their first year of law school.
3.b.3. Reservists who are not lawyers but are currently attending
law school are eligible to apply. If selected, they will RAD before
beginning their next year of school.
3.b.4. Reservists who do not complete law school or complete law
school but do not pass the bar, will return to their original MOS to
fulfill obligation time incurred per paragraph 6.h. of this
MARADMIN.
4. Eligibility
4.a. General eligibility criteria
4.a.1. Applicants must be a citizen of the United States.
4.a.2. Unrestricted commissioned officers in the Marine Corps
on active duty.
4.b. In the case of FLEP:
4.b.1. Must be in the grade of captain or below.
4.b.2. Have a minimum of two years but not more than six years
total active-duty time when law education begins.
4.b.3. Be able to complete 20 years active service, of which at
least 10 years must be as a commissioned officer, before his or her
62nd birthday.
4.b.4. These are statutory qualifications and cannot be waived.
Exceptions to policy submitted will not be considered.
4.c. In the case of ULEP:
4.c.1. Must be in the grade of captain or below.
4.c.2. Have a minimum of two years but not more than eight years
total active-duty time when law education begins.
4.c.3. Be able to complete 20 years active service, of which at
least 10 years must be as a commissioned officer before his or her
62nd birthday.
4.c.4. These are statutory qualifications and cannot be waived.
Exceptions to policy submitted will not be considered.
4.d. Ineligibility criteria
4.d.1. Officers previously selected to other Marine Corps Graduate
Education Programs (MCGEP) who are currently serving a utilization
tour.
4.d.2. Officers who were selected on the FY27 Commandant's
Education Board for Professional Military Education (PME) School or
have been selected to other MCGEP.
5. School criteria
5.a. Applicants must apply to a broad range of schools that offer
in-state, out-of-state, or private tuition rates.
5.b. Applicants are highly encouraged to apply for scholarships
and grants.
5.c. Tuition paid by the Department of War will be capped at
the same state levels referenced in U.S.C 38, Chapter 33 Post 9/11
Educational Assistance. Students may request to attend a school
where tuition exceeds that cap, but they will incur any additional
financial responsibility over the capped tuition rate. Manpower
Management Officer Assignment (MMOA-3) in conjunction with Judge
Advocate Division (JAD), and Marine Corps University (MCU), will
adjudicate such requests.
5.d. Letters of acceptance and application must state annual
tuition for both in-state and out-of-state residents, and whether
the applicant qualifies for in-state tuition. Include all
information that will affect associated costs, to include, but not
limited to, scholarships, grants, cash awards etc.
5.e. Due to limited funding, applicants should thoroughly research
several schools for quality and expenses.
5.f. JAD, in coordination with MMOA-3, and MCU, will select law
schools for the FLEP selectees.
5.g. Scholarships, fellowships, grants, or cash awards for the
FLEP/ULEP will not be accepted without both prior approval from
MMOA-3 and coordination with, and receipt of, an ethics opinion from
JAD.
6. Application process
6.a. The CAC enabled application requirements and sample
application can be found at:
https:(slash)(slash)www.manpower.marines.mil/Divisions/Manpower-
Management/Officer-Assignments/Plans-and-Programs-MMOA-3/#tab/
graduate-education-boards.
6.b. Packages must be endorsed by the chain of command through the
first general officer. The applicant's commanding officer shall
include in the forwarding endorsement a specific recommendation
concerning the applicant's future value to the Marine Corps as a
judge advocate.
6.c. Where practicable, all applicants shall be interviewed by the
staff judge advocate (SJA) to the first general officer in their
chain of command. The SJA's comments and recommendations concerning
the applicant shall be an enclosure to the forwarding endorsement.
Where not practicable, a senior judge advocate of any Armed Force,
who is available in the location of the applicant, shall be
requested to conduct the interview and prepare this statement. The
SJA should address the probability of the applicant's success in the
study of law, the applicant's motivation to become a Marine Corps
judge advocate, and the applicant's full understanding of all
aspects of the program.
6.d. Applicants must submit their official LSAT scores. A minimum
score of 150 is required. Individuals seeking a waiver of the GRE
in place of the LSAT refer to the POCs in paragraph 8.
6.e. Applicants shall include a statement (500 words or less)
indicating the steps they have taken to learn about the Marine Corps
judge advocate career and their reason for seeking such a career.
6.f. Packages should include the names of law schools accredited by
the American Bar Association to which the applicant has applied to
and/or been accepted, in priority order.
6.g. Applicants will ensure transcripts from all colleges and
universities attended, with credits and letter grades, are contained
in their application prior to the convening of the board.
6.h. A statement of acceptance of the service obligation must be
included in the application. Below are the service obligations per
program:
6.h.1. In accordance with ref (b), upon successful completion of
FLEP, Marines incur 24 months of obligated active service
for each 12 months, or any part thereof, spent in the program.
6.h.2. Upon successful completion of ULEP, Marines incur 12 months
obligated active service for each 12 months, or any part thereof,
spent in the program. In no case will the total period of obligated
service under ULEP be less than 24 months.
6.h.3. Per ref (e), Reservists who RAD will incur 24 months of
service obligation from date of commission.
6.h.4. RAD obligation will be consecutive, not concurrent to ULEP
obligation and will not start while the selected Marine is in
school. Obligation will run when selected Marines are on temporary
additional duty (TAD) or in a leave status.
6.i. Applicants must submit a privacy act statement.
6.j. Email the application in Adobe PDF format to
[email protected], naming the file "EDIPI_FLEP_LastName"
or "EDIPI_ULEP_LastName" or "EDIPI_FLEP_ULEP_LastName" if applying
for both.
6.j.1. Reservists applying for ULEP must submit both a ULEP package
and RAD package to [email protected].
6.k. Officers who are eligible and desire to apply to both FLEP
and ULEP should submit a combined application.
7. General information for eligible population
7.a. Applicants must notify their primary MOS monitor of intent to
apply for FLEP and/or ULEP prior to submitting application. Include
this correspondence in your application.
7.b. Final selection to the program will be contingent upon MMOA-3
receiving the law school acceptance letters due no later than
1 April 2027.
7.c. Upon release of the results MARADMIN, and after program
requirements are achieved, PCS orders will be issued for all
selected officers by MMOA-3.
7.d. Officers not yet career designated will be offered and must
accept career designation prior to matriculation.
7.e. Officers who denied career designation are not eligible for
FLEP/ULEP.
8. Program points of contact
8.a. FLEP and ULEP
Major Matthew W. Schoneweis
Comm: 703-693-9059
Email: [email protected]
8.b. MMOA-3 Graduate Education
Major Delaney T. Dumanovsky
Comm: 703-784-9284
Email: [email protected]
8.c. MMOA-3 Retention and Release Officer
Major Mary E. Aldred
Comm: 703-784-9284
Email: [email protected]
8.d. Third-party Billing, EDCOM
Email: [email protected]
9. Release authorized by MajGen Fridrik Fridriksson, Director,
Manpower Management Division.//