U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division

The Judge Advocate Division is the United States Marine Corps's legal arm, and is subordinate to the Judge Advocate General of the Navy. The head of the Division is the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC). Military attorneys (or judge advocates) in the Marine Corps work under the supervision of the SJA to the CMC to advise Marine commanders regarding legal issues including the law of war, and to prosecute and defend courts-martial. Marine Corps lawyers are line officers, unlike their counterparts in the Navy and Army, which means they can fill any officer billet in the Fleet Marine Force (see section 3 below).

ubdivisions

The Judge Advocate Division of Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps includes the following branches:
*JAI - Information, Plans and Programs
*JAL - Legal Assistance
*JAM - Military Law
*JAO - International and Operational Law
*JAR - Research and Civil Law
*JAS - Judge Advocate Support
*CDC - Chief Defense Counsel of the Marine Corps

SJAs to the CMC

The current Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (since August 2006) is Brigadier General James C. Walker. Previous SJAs to the CMC are as follows:

*Colonel Charles B. Sevier 1966-1968
*Colonel Marion G. Truesdale 1968-1969
*Brigadier General Duane L. Faw 1969-1971
*Brigadier General Clyde R. Mann 1971-1973
*Brigadier General John R. De Barr 1973-1976
*Brigadier General Robert J. Chadwick 1976-1978
*Brigadier General James P. King 1978-1980
*Brigadier General William H. J. Tiernan 1980-1983
*Brigadier General Walter J. Donovan 1983-1985
*Brigadier General David M. Brahms 1985-1988
*Brigadier General Michael E. Rich 1988-1990
*Brigadier General Gerald L. Miller 1990-1993
*Brigadier General Michael C. Wholley 1993-1996
*Brigadier General Theodore G. Hess 1996-1999
*Brigadier General Joseph Composto 1999-2001
*Brigadier General Kevin M. Sandkuhler 2001-2006

Marine Corps judge advocates

Marine Corps judge advocates, or JAs, are licensed attorneys who are also officers in the Marine Corps. Each JA is a line officer in the Marine Corps, and goes through the same initial training as any other Marine officer, including the full six-month course of instruction at the Basic School (TBS). While at TBS, the Marines are trained and educated in the high standards of professional knowledge, esprit-de-corps, and leadership required to prepare them for duty as company grade officers in the operating forces, with particular emphasis on the duties, responsibilities and warfighting skills required of a rifle platoon commander. Upon graduation from TBS, the Marine attends Naval Justice School (NJS) where they are instructed in the fundamental principles of military justice, civil and administrative law, and procedure, with practical application of those principles to the problems inevitably arising within every command, in order to assist in the attainment of a high standard of legal practice and administration of the naval justice and naval disciplinary systems, as well as the naval civil and administrative law system. Upon graduation from NJS, the Marine is designated as a Judge Advocate (MOS 4402) and will begin their tour in the Fleet Marine Force as an attorney.

As line officers, Marine JAs can and occasionally do serve in non-legal assignments, including the command of combat units.

ee also

*Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy
*Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeal

External links

* [http://sja.hqmc.usmc.mil/ SJA to the Commandant of the Marine Corps official web site]
* [http://www.tbs.usmc.mil/All_MOS_FAQ_Detail.asp?MOSid=4402 FAQs for the 4402 MOS] at The Basic School web site