Syracuse University’s College of Law proudly has among its student body three Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) students–Ray Scarlatta L’23, Anthony “Ben” Emmi L’23 and David Trombly L’24—who are part of the U.S. Army’s Educational Delay (Ed Delay) program. All three were selected from a pool of 20,000 cadets to be among 130 Ed Delay cadets nationwide. This competitive nationwide program delays active duty service for cadets while they attend law school. The College of Law has the most Ed Delay cadets of any law school in the country.
The Ed Delay program is designed as a pathway for ROTC cadets into the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, the military justice and military law branch of the U.S. Army. During their third year of law school, cadets compete for selection into the JAG Corps. Selection for Ed Delay does not guarantee selection for the JAG Corps, but does greatly increase a student’s chances.
“Many ROTC cadets learn about the JAG Corps and seek out the opportunity to attend law school right after their undergraduate studies instead of commissioning directly onto active duty in another branch. Then the students next explore what law school would best prepare them for the JAG Corps. We are so proud that the Syracuse University College of Law has become a school of choice for Army Ed Delay students,” says Beth Kubala, executive director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic in the College of Law. “Here at the College of Law we have several faculty members with JAG experience and coursework that allows students to focus on national security law. Couple that legal education and mentoring with the university’s support network for military-connected students and our ability to prepare these students to serve as military lawyers is unmatched.”