Military & Veterans

Commanding officers no longer determine whether to pursue sexual assault cases in military courts

It used to be that when U.S. military service members were sexually assaulted by other service members, there was one person, their commanding officer, who decided what happened with the allegation. Although the creation of the new Offices of Special Trial Counsel is a welcome change for victims’ advocates, not everyone is happy about it.

Oct 1, 2024 1:10 AM CDT

Lawyer awarded $3.3M after crashing snowmobile into negligently parked Army helicopter

A federal judge in Massachusetts has awarded $3.3 million in damages to a lawyer for injuries suffered when he crashed his snowmobile into a camouflaged U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter parked on a snowmobile trail at dusk.

Sep 26, 2024 2:28 PM CDT

Navy exonerates Black sailors charged in Port Chicago disaster 80 years ago

Eighty years after explosions ripped through the Port Chicago naval facility in California, killing 320, the secretary of the Navy has announced the full exoneration of African American sailors who were charged in 1944 with mutiny and refusing orders to return to work in dangerous conditions loading ammunition.

Jul 19, 2024 8:00 AM CDT

A Few Good Friends: Loneliness can be a JAG’s toughest battle

It is not just the Police who find themselves “so lonely;” we too should find “no surprise, no mystery” in loneliness’s pervasiveness. Military lawyers, in particular, feel its unavoidable sting accentuated by the military attorney lifestyle. Together, let’s look at how to work past the inevitable to succeed where possible.

Jun 20, 2024 12:31 PM CDT

Coast Guard veteran speaks out for military sexual assault survivors

In December, Melissa McCafferty sat before members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs and spoke candidly about the darkest times in her life. While at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the late 2000s, she was sexually assaulted by male cadets two separate times. She chose not to report the incidents, fearing no one would care or that she would face discipline.

Jun 1, 2024 12:50 AM CDT

Lawyer seeks damages after his snowmobile crashes into Black Hawk helicopter

A Massachusetts lawyer is awaiting a judge’s decision following a bench trial in his $9.5 million lawsuit alleging that the military was negligent for leaving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on a snowmobile route at dusk.

Mar 6, 2024 10:01 AM CST

ABA announces 2024 Spirit of Excellence Award recipients

Attorneys, military officers and judges who exemplify excellence in the legal profession will receive the 2024 Spirit of Excellence Award during the ABA Midyear Meeting in February, the ABA announced Thursday.

Nov 3, 2023 9:09 AM CDT

Federalist Society lawyers deemed too timid for future Trump administration by ex-president’s allies

Former President Donald Trump had relied on the conservative Federalist Society to fill executive branch legal positions and advise on judicial nominees. But some of Trump’s allies view the group’s conservative elite lawyers as too timid to carry out his agenda.

Nov 2, 2023 12:41 PM CDT

Clarify overseas employment guidance for military families, House urges

The U.S. Departments of State and Defense should clarify rules that relate to military spouses and family members who want to obtain or maintain telework, virtual or other forms of employment while accompanying service members overseas, the House of Delegates said at the ABA Annual Meeting in Denver on Monday.

Aug 8, 2023 10:15 AM CDT

Community Veteran Justice Project founder helps vets navigate legal needs

Jodi Galvin retired in 2010, after spending more than 20 years as a prosecutor with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. For more than a decade prior to that, she had been an investigator in the criminal and mental health sections of the Orange County Public Defender’s Office. When thinking about what to do next, Galvin realized she could use her experience to help veterans, a population that mattered a great deal to her.

Aug 1, 2023 12:50 AM CDT

Sweeping changes to military justice code mandate handling of serious crimes outside chain of command

President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order that implements large-scale changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Jul 31, 2023 12:43 PM CDT

Ex-judge agrees to disbarment after she is accused of stealing money from former Tuskegee Airman

A retired judge in Cook County, Illinois, has asked the Illinois Supreme Court to remove her from the attorney rolls after an ethics complaint accused her of stealing more than $246,000 from a Tuskegee Airman who had been married to her aunt.

Jun 30, 2023 8:41 AM CDT

CNN obtains transcript of tape that is highlighted in unsealed espionage charges against Trump

Updated: A recording in which former President Donald Trump discusses a “secret” document about attacking Iran is referenced in the indictment unsealed Friday that includes alleged violations of the Espionage Act.

Jun 9, 2023 10:14 AM CDT

ABA Military Pro Bono Project has been connecting volunteer attorneys to servicemembers in need for 15 years

It hardly makes sense to ask military members to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country—and then deprive them of access to legal services, says Pamela Stevenson, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel.

May 22, 2023 8:49 AM CDT

Attorneys nationwide prepare for Law Day celebrations

Kari Burns describes promoting the rule of law as “near and dear” to her heart. That’s why Burns gets involved in Law Day, which is annually May 1 to recognize the rule of law in our society and encourage a greater understanding of the legal profession.

Apr 20, 2023 11:39 AM CDT