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How's Navy Legal School?

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Pedro

I like her bangs!
My friend just told me that he's becoming the legal officer at his squadron, and has to go to Navy Legal School in Rhode Island. Anyone ever been there? What can he expect?

I don't understand why an individual squadron would need a legal officer, when each base has a legal office anyway, with actual lawyers. Or is it like the Admin officer might also happen to be the legal officer?
Thanks
 

zab1001

Well-Known Member
pilot
Super Moderator
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Sheer numbers. Let's say a base has 5 squadrons plus supporting personnel. That's a few thousand folks. Could one legal office with maybe 5 JAGs handle all the stuff that happens with a large percentage of these people being between 18 and 25? The JAG Corps isn't all that large to begin with.

Legal Officer is a collateral duty, under the Admin Department.

Having your own Legal Officer enables a squadron to handle its own affairs on the lowest level possible, with the added bonus of being able to keep things "in house" if need be.

Additionally, what good is a "base legal office" when you're deployed?

The Webmaster was a Legal O. I'm sure he'll chime in when the sun finally rises in the Far East.
 

RockyMtnNFO

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Pedro,

The nature of the military dictates that individual commanders are responsible for good order and discipline; as such they are given the power to meet out discipline under the UCMJ or Uniform Code of Military Justice. You may be familiar with since it is binding upon you. There are many differences between civilian and criminal law but to keep it short, most of the official discipline meeted out in the military does not require opposing counsel and trained lawyers to the degree that civilian cases do; it can be done within the command. There are, however, enough requirements and procedures under the UCMJ, that each command needs one individual with enough training to properly process each case and advise the CO. So, while a trained JAG could be a legal officer for a command, it would not be necessary as the command level discipline can be handled by a trained JO as a collateral duty.

Any Military Justice that calls for a higher form of discipline, court marshal etc., does get reffered to actaul JAG legal counsel and is adjudicated by actual judges.

For example: SR Jones (ficticious sailor) pops for MJ on the whiz quiz. The CO asks if he can search his locker and he says yes and the CO finds a small bag of dope. At this point the CO can say, I just want this kid out of the Navy, Legal Officer, prepare all the paperwork and let's get a seperation board together. The SR can talk to actual JAG counsel, but from the command's perspective, all they need is the legal O to take care of business from their end. The command can impose lesser forms of punishment or send it up to really nail the kid.

Sorry this is long, but it bears a longer answer.

El Tee
 

Brett327

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Yeah, I was a LO too. You're basically there to advise your CO on what he can and can't do. Most of your time is spent processing people for Captain's Mast. Any serious stuff usually gets referred to a real JAG and/or NCIS with you acting as a go-between. The school runs down the basics of the military legal system. You learn about evidence, searches and procedures for mast, admin boards, etc. The job itself is kind of a red ass, but you do end up getting alot of good face time w/ your front office as well as an appreciation of some "big picture" stuff you would otherwise not be exposed to. Plus, you know all the secret dirt on everyone in the squadron.

Brett
 

RockyMtnNFO

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Good point.

I didn't really want to know how messed up some lives were, but I sure found out. It is an eye opener.

El Tee
 

webmaster

The Grass is Greener!
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Nothing really to add on the Lawdog job, everyone covered it. At least in VP, you get identified in the FRS as a prospective new "victim". Usually the squadron uses their prospective hinges (O4s) that are going through for refresher training to talk to the IPs and scout out the next group coming in for prospects. The squadron can send you to Legal O school in San Diego also, and this can happen enroute to you new squadron. I didn't have to go the school, I already had the requisite training from my enlisted days (though I did get quizzed by the Wing JAG). But all they guys and gals that I knew who went to San Diego spent long days in the classroom, for that month.

Also, depending on how you are doing in the job, you will end up with it for less or more time (at the front office's pleasure)... I have seen in other squadron's the LO get fired after a few months. Other thing is, you have a direct tie outside the squadron on high visibility items, especially on deployment when you are taking FLT level attention (hmm, drinking incidents in 7th FLT anyone?), so if you aren't on your game, you can get the CO in hot water.

I always saw the job as a paperwork drill, and being there as counsel to the Skipper and XO, "Um, sir, I don't care what the CMDMC says, you can't do that"... that **** happens...
 

Goober

Professional Javelin Catcher
None
webmaster said:
hmm, drinking incidents in 7th FLT anyone

Urban legend...everyone knows they don't happen.

On a similar note, it's a good thing Guam is US territory...
 

webmaster

The Grass is Greener!
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Silly me, that never happens... I mean, I didn't see quite a few MAs for security camping outside of a local train station nabbing some turnstyle jumpers, child ticket purchasers, or those who busted liberty when the Fleet was in lockdown... nah... and I don't go through sobriety check points at least 3 times a week trying to get on and off base (or housing)... and I think I have NEVER seen the counter above 30 days, until it says "COUNTER RESET BY E6 FROM USS xxxxx"... though personally my favority was "COUNTER RESET BY SPOUSE OF O4 FROM USS XXX", ouch....

Back to the "in the know" and dirt comment.... yeah, it is good to know all the "truth" about what is going on, but at the same time, keep your trap shut, and don't spread privilidged info to those taht don't need to know. God knows the Es and your fellow Os will try and pump you for info, and when you comment on the rumor mill, you are adding credit to what they are speculating upon...
 

Cyclic

Behold the Big Iron
webmaster said:
Back to the "in the know" and dirt comment.... yeah, it is good to know all the "truth" about what is going on, ...

Okay Web....how much this is going to cost me.....
 
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