Navy JAG Corps Judge Advocate General's Corps

Region Legal Service Office Northwest (RLSO NW) held the JAG Corps’ first virtual change of command ceremony at the Bremerton Courtroom aboard Naval Base Kitsap, WA, on 19 June. Capt. Warren Record relieved Capt. Chuck LeMoyne as Commanding Officer of RLSO NW.

COVID-19 restrictions limited in person attendance to ceremony staff and key personnel. RLSO NW command members, family, and friends were invited to witness the ceremony via livestream.

“This …

Every year, the American Bar Association (ABA) recognizes an exemplary practitioner, as well as a legal team, with the prestigious Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) Distinguished Service Awards. In March, the ABA Standing Committee announced the 2019 recipients: Lt. Rosemarie Lombardi from the Region Legal Service Office (RLSO) Southeast Branch Office in New Orleans, La., received the individual award; and the RLSO Southwest Legal Assistance Department received the group …

Lt. Cmdr. Jarrod Franks earned his first post-graduate degree in 2009 and hit the ground running. His subsequent professional accomplishments caught the eye of leadership at his alma mater, Arizona State
University (ASU), and he recently was selected in 2020 to receive the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law’s Recent Alumni Achievement Award.

The Recent Alumni Achievement Award recognizes alumni of the law school who have graduated within the past …

The Navy JAG community's In-Service Procurement Program (IPP) Selection Board convened to consider 13 highly qualified candidates on Feb. 4, 2020. The board relied upon the “whole person” concept to identify applicants with the greatest potential for successful service as a Navy judge advocate. Ultimately, Legalman 2nd Class Cade A. Sawyer was named the 2020 IPP selected.

In 2014, Sawyer enlisted in the Navy, and he began his career with …

With his years of experience and lifelong passion, it should come as no surprise that Lt. Charles “Chuck” Ball was named the Military Commissions Defense Organization’s (MCDO) Officer of the Year.  

Ball joined the Navy in the spring of 2016 at the age of 40. After more than 15 years of experience in private practice, and a lifelong desire to serve in the military, a friend from the Army encouraged …

Capt. D. Monique Brown – Commanding Officer, Navy Reserve, Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity – took part in a joint swearing-in ceremony during the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas on Jan. 4.

Brown – alongside O6 representatives from every branch of military service, as well as an Air Force flag officer – formally enlisted 25 new Navy recruits on the football …

Lt. Cmdr. Jarrod Franks selected to participate in the prestigious program

The Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program has announced that Lt. Cmdr. Jarrod Franks -- a member of the Navy JAG community -- has been selected as one of the 60 Scholars chosen for the program’s sixth annual class. PLS serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and make a difference in the …

Leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps Judge Advocate General (JAG) communities honored the achievements and service of the top enlisted Sailors and Marines during a recognition ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard on Jan. 24.

Navy Legalman 1st Class (Surface Warfare/Aviation Warfare/Information Warfare) Keiana K. Zinnah – who is assigned to the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) as the Legal Officer and Executive Department Leading Petty Officer – has been …

Navy judge advocates Cmdr. Tim Boyle and Cmdr. Sean Thompson were published in the recently released book, The Law of Naval Warfare, which was compiled by the University of Adelaide Law School in Australia.

Boyle – who currently serves as Assistant Fleet Judge Advocate (National Security Law) at U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain – wrote a chapter titled, “At the Edges of Peace and War: Non-Traditional Vessels in Great …

Commander, Submarine Squadron Fifteen announced its Sailors of the Year during an all hands call at Konetzni Hall, Nov 14.

Capt. Tim Poe and Command Master Chief Eric Baker announced Legalman 1st Class Stacy Oglesby-Peacock as Senior Sailor of the Year and Fire Control Technician 2nd Class Patrick Trevino as the Junior Sailor of the Year.

"We have a large number of Sailors here at squadron that put in their …

The Legal Department aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) crushed qualifications!  Lt. SaraAnn Bennett qualified as Officer of the Deck (Underway) (OOD(U/W)), Legalman 1st Class Precious Lee and Legalman 3rd Class Tiffany Williams earned Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) qualifications, and Legalman 1st Class Jonathan White earned Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) qualification. 

The ESWS and EAWS qualifications help legalmen better understand the different departments on the ship …

On Nov. 2, 2019, Capt. Bradley Cordts -- a widely respected member of the Navy Reserve Law Program -- retired after 31 years of service. The ceremony was held at the World War II Museum in New Orleans, La. Capt. Mark Holley -- who currently leads the Inspector General's office at the JAG community headquarters -- served as the master of ceremonies and Rear Adm. (ret.) Carol M. Lynch officiated the …

Human Resource Specialist at the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS), Ms. Jana Rittman received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for outstanding meritorious service while serving the Judge Advocate General and Commander, Navy Legal Service Command from August 2014 through June 2019.

Rittman’s service has been marked by outstanding professionalism and dedication.  She skillfully oversaw the day-to-day management behind personnel decisions was especially critical to the JAG Corps attaining the …

Cmdr. Tim Stone – who currently serves as the officer in charge at Defense Service Office (DSO) West in Bremerton, Wash. – was honored with an Outstanding Achievement Award from his undergraduate alma mater, Ottawa University, on Oct. 11, 2019.

Stone earned a bachelor of arts degree in history in 1990 from Ottawa University, which is located in Ottawa, Kan. Upon graduation, he attended Washburn University School of Law in …

Lt. Shauna Morris – a judge advocate assigned to Defense Service Office (DSO) Pacific – played an integral role in the planning and execution of the 2019 Sasebo Women’s Waterfront Symposium on Sept. 18 at the Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo (CFAS) Community Education Center.

Morris worked closely with Cmdr. Greta Densham, commanding officer of Naval Beach Unit 7, to design an inclusive and productive event. The symposium, titled “Embracing Life …

Lt. Thomas M. Caruso has been named a recipient of the 2019 Syracuse Law Honors Awards, which are presented annually to celebrate the achievements of the university’s law school alumni, faculty and current students.

A tireless advocate for veterans rights, Caruso co-founded the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Family Veterans Legal Clinic, the first comprehensive veterans legal clinic in New York State. As a student and alum, Caruso has …

The career achievements of three Navy judge advocates were recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) during an awards ceremony in August at the organization's annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Lt. Jim Howland -- branch officer at Defense Service Office West, Guam -- was presented with the ABA Outstanding Young Military Service Lawyer Award. Lt. Ben Maddox -- deputy staff judge advocate for the Commandant, Naval District Washington -- …

Navy judge advocate Lt. Cmdr. Ben Adams took a new oath of office during a special ceremony at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., Aug. 13. Adams returned to active duty after completing a one-year clerkship at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Judge Thomas Griffith – who was nominated to the court in 2005 by President George W. Bush – administered Adams’s oath of office. Adams …

Region Legal Service Office Naval District Washington (RLSO NDW) is proud to announce that Erica S. Riley has been selected to participate in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) prestigious and highly competitive Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP). Riley will be in the 2020 ELDP cohort. Region Legal Service Office Naval District Washington (RLSO NDW) is proud to announce that Erica S. Riley has been selected to participate in the Department …

Lt. Philip D. Mayer was selected as a winner of the 2019 CNO Naval History Essay Contest in the category of Rising Historian for his essay "Incubate Innovation: The Development of Naval Aviation in the Interwar Period". Lt. Philip D. Mayer was selected as a winner of the 2019 CNO Naval History Essay Contest in the category of Rising Historian for his essay "Incubate Innovation: The Development of Naval Aviation …