News

Jan. 30, 2014

Shirley Huffman will celebrate her retirement after almost three decades of civil service on Jan. 31. Huffman started her long career of Government service as a legal clerk for the Office of th...

Jan. 23, 2014

International & Operational Law

The Office of the Judge Advocate General International and Operational Law Division (Code 10) provides legal services in diverse areas involvi...

Dec. 3, 2013

Haitian Orphanage

Last spring, I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti and volunteer at the Maison Fortune Orphanage School, officially named, “L’Ecole Mixte Jean Louis Fortuné.” Maison F...

Nov. 22, 2013

NLSC Junior Officer, Sailor of the Quarter

Please join us in congratulating the Naval Legal Service Command's Junior Officer and Sailor of the Quarter.

Nov. 12, 2013

Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy honored by National Bar Association

WASHINGTON -- The Deputy Judge Advocate General and Commander, Naval Legal Service Command, received the Major General Kenneth D. Gray Excellence in Jurisprudence Award from the National Bar As...

Sept. 10, 2013

Legal Assistance Attorney Selected for Prestigious ABA Award

Region Legal Service Office Hawaii is proud to announce the selection of Sarah Courageous, for the prestigious 2012 American Bar Association Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) Di...

Aug. 21, 2013

Taking a Break

Legalman 2nd Class Nadine Williams always had dreams of becoming a lawyer.

Aug. 16, 2013

Enlisted Reserve Law Program Award Winners

RADM Hugh H. Howell, Jr. Award of Excellence - Legalman 2nd Class Rose Terry, Navy Reserve Operational Support Unit 0659 and cross-assigned to NR Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic and Legalman 2nd Class Jose Torres, NR International Law (OJAG ...

July 23, 2013

Navy Lawyer Among “Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40"

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Navy judge advocate, Lt. Tashinda Richardson, has been named to the National Bar Association (NBA) and IMPACT’s “Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40.” Honorees will be recogniz...

May 30, 2013

Navy Legalmen Revive "Tacking on the Crow"

Legalman 2nd Class Lindsay Small, Legalman 2nd Class Rah'Asia Hicks, and Legalman 2nd Class C. Brooke Casey revive a naval tradition, tacking on the crow....

May 23, 2013

Spotlight On: Master Chief Legalman Shannon Charles

This week, we congratulate Master Chief Legalman Shannon Charles, who recently earned a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University. This accomplis...

May 20, 2013

Appellate Government (Code 46)

Washington — If you want a bird’s eye view of the trial process, a tour in an appellate code at Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity (NAMARA) is a must.

May 9, 2013

NLSC Junior Officer and Sailor of the Quarter

It is my distinct pleasure to recognize outstanding judge advocates and legalmen for professional excellence and dedication to service. I am pleased to announce the following individua...

April 25, 2013

Rota Welcomes Newest U.S. Citizens During Ceremony

Naval Station Rota Spain welcomed seven new United States citizens as they took the oath of allegiance to the United States during a Naturalization ceremony held in the Region Legal Service Office courtroom of the Community Service Building March 13.

Feb. 26, 2013

Naval Legal Service Command Junior Officer and Sailor of the Quarter

It is my privilege to recognize outstanding judge advocates and legalmen for professional excellence and dedication to service. I am pleased to announce the following individuals have been...

Feb. 21, 2013

Network Strives to Help Military Spouse Lawyers Pursue Legal Careers in Spite of Frequent Moves

The process of obtaining a license to practice law is challenging and often stressful. The course of action typically involves lengthy applications and intense studying, which ...

Feb. 14, 2013

Judge Advocate General & Naval Legal Service Command Superior Performance Awards

It is our great pleasure to recognize outstanding judge advocates for their professional excellence. Please congratulate the following recipients of the 2012 ...

Feb. 12, 2013

Well, JAG, What Do You Think?

Lt. James D. Carson stands in front of a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) onboard the USS Gettysburg (CG-64). Carson is acting as the legal advisor for a Combined Task Group and its supporting forces during Joint Warrior 12-2....

Feb. 5, 2013

2012 Legalman & Sailor of the Year

Please join us in congratulating Legalman 1st Class (SW) Na'eem Phillips on his selection as the 2012 Judge Advocate General Legalman of the Year, and Legalman 1st Class (SCW) Dana Martinez on her selection as the 2012 Naval Legal Service Command Sailor of the Year. These two outstanding Sailors were chosen from a pool of incredibly talented nominees.

Jan. 24, 2013

China Lake JAG helps Sailors on USS Nimitz

The staff judge advocate for the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division and the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake recently spent a week aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) helping its Sailors take care of legal matters before deploying.

Dec. 20, 2012

Navy Announces Legal Services Change

By JAG Corps Public Affairs The Naval Legal Service Command (NLSC) recently reorganized its offices and leadership explained where fleet units and individuals in need of services go to obtain legal help in a NAVADMIN released Nov. 30. The NLSC ...

Nov. 1, 2012

RLSO SE and PCU Norfolk Supports Flood Victims in Pensacola

The Navy JAG community rallied to provide claims assistance to dozens of military families affected by unexpected torrential rain that flooded homes and businesses causing Escambia County to decl...

Oct. 25, 2012

Victim Witness Assistance Program, More than Just Filling out a Form

This past April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign reiterated the importance of providing this critical support to victims.

Oct. 16, 2012

Cyber Law: Challenges, Law, Billets

How to legally conduct military operations in cyber space has proven to be an enormous challenge. Even the most fundamental issue of law - what body of law applies to cyber space operations – has been debated. Despite the ongoing dialogue among legal scholars and policy makers on the applicable legal structure to apply, cyber threats to U.S. national security or interests continue to mount.

Oct. 3, 2012

Navy Legal Office Names Change, Services Remain Intact

The Naval Legal Service Command realigned its offices Oct. 1, but its legal services to the fleet did not change. Legal assistance services were previously provided by Naval Legal Service Offices (NLSOs). As a result of the realignment, a servi...

Sept. 27, 2012

Advancing the Rule of Law Worldwide – DIILS at 20 Years

It’s 0700 on a steamy Monday, and the sun is rising above Lake Kivu in eastern Congo. Fishermen in dugout canoes ply the lake’s waters in pursuit of the first catch of the day. The merchants of Bukavu, the capital of the picturesque South Kivu province, ready their wares to be sold on the streets of the city center. A team of U.S. Navy judge advocates assembles their gear for another day with the Congolese Army.

Sept. 19, 2012

Naval Legal Service Command Adapts to Best Serve Navy, Clients

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Beginning in October, the Judge Advocate General's Corps will reorganize the Naval Legal Service Command (NLSC) to meet the Navy's evolving demands for expeditionary legal services support while continuing to provide quality milit...

Sept. 18, 2012

NLSO Mid-Atlantic Wins Model Partnership Award

Naval Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic was recognized as a 2012 Model Partnership by the Virginia Beach City Public School System for its volunteer work with high school students at Virginia Beach First Colonial High School.

Sept. 13, 2012

Naval War College Professor Supports Legal Training To Congo

U.S. Naval War College professor Capt. Kevin Brew returned from a mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where he led a three-person judge advocate general officer team to train the DRC military on core legal topics such as ethics and ...

Sept. 7, 2012

Reserve Legalman Recognized with Prestigious Awards

The reserve legalman of the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps are known for their professional excellence and dedication. It is therefore my pleasure to announce the below individuals who rec...

Aug. 14, 2012

Nimitz Holds Courts-Martial at Sea

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) convened the first of four courts-martial at sea June 12. Courts-martial are not typically held on board a ship. The legal team and the judge stood for a photo after the court-martial. From left to right: ABE ...

Aug. 6, 2012

Judge Advocates Receive Outstanding Service Awards from American Bar Association

Two Navy judge advocates were honored by the American Bar Association (ABA) at the 2012 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago Aug. 3.

July 24, 2012

A Focus on Legal Representation Outside the Courtroom

Although providing courts-martial representation is commonly seen as the primary role of legal defense departments, defense counsel spend a great deal of their time on administrative sep...

July 23, 2012

Legal Community Bids Heartfelt Farewell to Longtime Japanese Advisor

In May 1983, Ms. Mari Okamoto, née Terao, began work as an interpreter and legal assistant for the U.S. Navy. On June 22, she celebrated her retirement after twenty-nine years of service with a ceremony at the Officer’s Club onboard Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Okamoto, Mari-san to her friends, was joined by just a small sample of the countless service members and civilians – Japanese and American alike – whose lives she touched.

July 20, 2012

New Leadership Takes Helm of Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps

The U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps held a change of office ceremony on July 20, at the Washington Navy Yard. During the traditional change of office ceremony, presided over...

July 19, 2012

Pro Bono Assistance and Operation Standby

The ABA Military Pro Bono Project, established in 2008, is an innovative collaboration between the military and civilian bars designed to expand legal support for active-duty enlist...

July 13, 2012

Intern Spotlight: Brittany Pizor & Brenna Miller

We interns at Region Legal Service Office Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia were quite excited to share what we had picked out for our ‘word for the week.’ Little did we know we had both picked the same word: Family. The word has been slowly brewing in our minds for quite some time now. In our first week on the job, our office held a command function. We were both instantly impressed at how collectively everyone intermingled. There were no couples by themselves, no one sitting alone, just pure communal relations. We couldn’t help but feel comfortable amongst our colleagues.

July 11, 2012

Command Master Chief Farewell

Master Chief Legalman Chris Browning retired July 2 after more than 25 years of service in the Navy. He most recently served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Judge Advocate General and the Command Master Chief for Commander, Naval Legal Service Command. Master Chief Legalman Paul St. Sauver took the reins from Master Chief Browning following the Washington Navy Yard ceremony.

July 10, 2012

A Legal Assist of the USS Enterprise on its Last Voyage

Capt. Michael T. Palmer, commanding officer, Naval Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic (NLSO MIDLANT), conducted a meritorious mast for 15 enlisted Sailors and one civilian, recogniz...

June 21, 2012

San Diego Sailors Rescue Victim from Near-Fatal Car Wreck

San Diego-based Sailors were among the first responders to a collision accident on Interstate 15 in Temecula, Calif., April 20. At about 7 p.m., Lt. Cmdr. Justin Henderson, Lt. John Andrew Schaffer, Lt....

June 12, 2012

Legalman Receives Victim Assistance Award

Legalman 2nd Class Lisa Martin, Region Legal Service Office Southeast, received the Outstanding Victim Advocate award during the 28th annual observation of National Victim’s Rights week, hosted by the Mayor’s Victim Assistance Advisory Council in Jac...

June 11, 2012

Navy JAG Corps Leadership Team Nominated

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta announced that the President has made the following nominations: Navy Rear Adm. Nanette M. DeRenzi has been nominated for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as judge advocate general of the...

June 7, 2012

SAIGE Honors Marine Judge Advocate with 2012 Meritorious Service Award

The Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE) recognized Marine Corps Lt. Col. T. Jay Hunting Horse, Operational Law Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG), with ...

May 31, 2012

The U.S. Legal Mission in Iraq: The First and Last Chapter

On April 9, 2003, as the world watched ecstatic Iraqis tear down the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad’s Firdos Square, I got word that my flight into Baghdad was set for that night. At that time I was serving as the staff judge advocate for a Special Operations Task Force that was supporting the initial phases of Operation Iraqi

May 24, 2012

RLSO EURAFSWA Does Its Part for Operation Unified Protector

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk cruise missile to support Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn. Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical comman...

May 18, 2012

Navy Lawyer Receives USO Woman of the Year Military Leadership Award

Navy judge advocate, Lt. Katie Worstell, received a Military Leadership Award during the 46th Annual USO Woman of the Year Luncheon hosted by the USO of Metropolitan New York May 1. Worstell is one of five female service members who received the award honoring dedication, achievement, and exceptional service to the country. One female recipient was chosen from each branch of the armed forces to be recognized for their accomplishments.

May 15, 2012

Judge Advocates Receive Awards for Outstanding Service

The Judge Advocates Association (JAA) and the Judge Advocates Foundation (JAF) announced the 2012 recipients of the JAA Career Armed Services Attorney Award, the Maj. Gen. William K. Suter D...

May 1, 2012

From the Well to the Helm in Six Weeks

Lt. Carina Podgorski reports on board Clyde Submarine Base in Faslane, Scotland, for a briefing shortly before taking part in Joint Warrior 11-2. This exercise includes Sailors from more than a dozen countries working together for deployment certific...

April 24, 2012

Legalmen: Why We Should Develop the Art of Writing Persuasively

With an aristocratic drawl, Bryan Garner gently informed a group of Seattle-area legal professionals that they were trained to write poorly. In attendance at Garner’s writing seminar - in addition to civilian legal professionals - were 15 service members from Naval Legal Service Office Northwest. Indistinguishable in their civilian attire, attorneys and legalmen alike were excited to meet the legendary Garner, author of law school favorites The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style, The Winning Brief: 100 Tips for Persuasive Briefing in Trial and Appellate Courts, and Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges (a book he co-authored with Justice Antonin Scalia).

April 17, 2012

ROLFSOs: One Individual Augmentation, Five Different Experiences

We wrap-up our five-part Rule of Law Field Support Officer series with a message from the Commander, Rule of Law Field Support Mission Afghanistan, Rear Adm. James W. Crawford III, followed by our final post by Lt. Jennifer Myers.