Roxanne Roman ’26, a rising 3L J.D. student, grew up in a military family, mostly raised in Okinawa, Japan. With her international and military background, she knew that she wanted to pursue opportunities in national security , and this summer, she obtained hands-on experience as an intern at Kadena Air Base, a United States Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan that is often referred to as the “Keystone of the Pacific” because of its highly strategic location.
Tell us about your summer internship.
This summer with the Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) at Kadena Air Base, Japan, I was an intern for the 18th Wing Judge Advocate office for eight weeks. I chose to focus my internship primarily on military justice which has included assisting with court martials, board separations, non-judicial punishments, and commander advising. I took the lead on writing legal reviews and recommendations for commanders regarding nonjudicial punishment appeals from service members.
I’m primarily interested in national security law, but over the summer I’ve become more interested in the litigation aspects of military justice.
What about this opportunity stood out to you?
I’ve been interested in military legal work because of my international background and interest in national security. Last summer, I did a similar internship with the Army JAG Corps at West Point which I really enjoyed as well. I particularly like that the JAG Corps internships offer a diversity of work in military justice, legal assistance, and administrative law. It is a great early opportunity to try out different kinds of law. Based on an awesome experience last summer, I chose to focus my internship this year primarily on military justice.
What were you most excited about for this opportunity?
Since this internship was in Japan, I was most excited to work on foreign jurisdiction issues and anything that intersected with the U.S. Status of Forces Agreement with Japan.
What has been your favorite part of the experience so far?
Kadena Air Base is the largest in size and population in the Pacific and is also the center of Air Force operations in Asia. Thus, Kadena is a very dynamic and busy installation that is responsible for the defense of Japan. Considering this, there are interesting questions and problems that arise each day for the legal team, which makes for a very engaging learning experience that keeps you on your toes. My favorite experiences were attending meetings with JAGS around the base as they talked through legal questions with investigators and commanders for anything from DUI’s, to sting operations, security clearances, and appellate review authority.
What is your hometown and where did you study before Fordham?
I am from a military family and I moved around a lot growing up, but I consider my hometown to be Okinawa, Japan. I earned my bachelor’s degree from New York University Shanghai in Shanghai, China, where I majored in political science with a China studies minor.
Afterwards, I won a Schwarzman Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in management science and global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Now, I am a J.D. candidate at Fordham School of Law, going into my 3L year.
How do you think this summer experience will help you when you return to Fordham Law and/or your career?
Drafting legal reviews for commanders has helped me grow as a writer in terms of articulating the law and legal analysis, especially in application of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). I see how valuable it is to develop my legal writing skills, and I’m very grateful to get so much practical feedback on my work. It’s exceptionally rewarding to see my progress move from extensive edits, to no edits, and now signing off on my own legal reviews for commander consideration.
This summer, hundreds of rising 2Ls and 3Ls from Fordham Law are gaining hands-on experience across the country and around the globe. Whether working as summer associates, judicial interns, or fellows, they’re building professional networks, sharpening their legal skills, and exploring their areas of interest through meaningful, real-world engagement. Follow @fordhamlawnyc to read more stories about Fordham Law students’ summer experiences in our #futurefordhamlawyers series.