Jaclyn Nicole Urso: LLM Candidate, Georgetown University Law, National Security
Jaclyn Nicole Urso has spent two decades mastering high-stakes legal decision-making in some of the most demanding environments imaginable. As a retired Lieutenant Colonel and U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate with 20 years of service, she guided legal strategy and compliance for commands supporting over 170,000 service members and their families. From the moment she took her oath as a Marine Corps officer, service to the nation became not just an obligation, but a calling.
Now pursuing her Master of Law in Sports Law at the University of Miami School of Law, Urso is also expanding her focus in national security law after being admitted to the LL.M. Program in National Security Law at Georgetown University Law Center for Fall 2026. Her path from Marine Officer to combat-deployed Judge Advocate to dual LL.M. candidate reflects what she describes as “the next mission” — deepening her expertise to protect the nation through principled legal service while bridging military precision with sports law and governance.
Her military career distinguished her as both a legal strategist and leader. Serving as Staff Judge Advocate and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate to two and three-star Commanding Generals, she navigated complex areas including operational law, criminal litigation, national security, and military justice.
The scope of her legal education reflects comprehensive expertise. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2004 and completed an LL.M. in Military Law with a Military Justice Specialization from The U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School in 2013. She also completed the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the Air Force War College, and received a Department of Defense Top Level School Certificate in 2023. Her undergraduate work at Tulane University combined political science and sociology while competing as a scholarship athlete on the NCAA Division I women's soccer team.
When asked about her success, she points to relentless ambition, unwavering support from friends and family, and a desire to prove wrong those who underestimated her. That drive led her to earn a law degree, serve 20 years in the Marine Corps, and now pursue an in-house counsel role for a sports organization while exploring opportunities in public service and politics.
Her advice to young women entering the legal field is direct: recognize you have to be twice as good to get half the recognition. She also emphasizes that networking ability puts you over the top, encouraging others to be genuinely friendly because opportunities emerge from unexpected connections.
As she completes her Sports Law LL.M., expected in May 2026, and prepares to begin Georgetown’s National Security Law LL.M. program, she brings crisis management expertise and cross-functional leadership forged under pressure.
