Blog

Court Is Assembled: Warfighter 26-3: Warfighters Assemble

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:30:00 GMT

“[W]hat matters most: advising commanders in the fight, on operations [and] in deployed environments where seconds and minutes count . . . . [A] focus on warfighting, military justice, operational law, the law of armed conflict, deployed contracting, intelligence law, and cyberspace . . . . Everything that sharpens the edge in large-scale combat.” – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth

News & Notes

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:25:00 GMT

View legal professionals across the force as they train, deploy, and operate in diverse environments around the world. From field exercises and airborne operations to multinational training and professional education, these images reflect the breadth of legal support provided to commanders and Soldiers at every level.

Book Review: The Illegals - Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Beginning in ancient times, countries have utilized spies and saboteurs to secretly gather intelligence and obtain advantages over their adversaries. British journalist and author Shaun Walker provides a timely, in-depth look into how Russia, one of America’s greatest strategic competitors,3 has employed spies against the United States in his book...

Lore of the Corps: Silk Stockings or the Danger Zone: The World Wars, SAGEBRUSH, and the Past, Present, and Future of USAR Legal Support

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:35:00 GMT

The history of legal support from the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) elements, as the largest pool of reserve legal support on the planet, provides a rich tapestry of wisdom as the Army transforms for tomorrow’s near-peer, high-end fight. For over 100 years, citizen-Soldiers have answered the call to...

Practice Notes: Saturday Night Jurisdiction over Reserve Soldiers, Part II

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

It is well-settled law that Reserve Soldiers are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) between consecutive periods of inactive-duty training (IDT) (e.g., the Saturday evening of a typical battle assembly weekend). However, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) has recently constricted the Military Services’ ability to exercise jurisdiction over Reserve Component (RC) Service members.

Practice Notes: Artificial Intelligence as a Judge Advocate’s Force Multiplier

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:42:00 GMT

The commanders whom Army lawyers advise are increasingly making decisions at machine speed, in domains shaped by adversaries who themselves use artificial intelligence (AI). The judge advocates (JAs) who cannot keep pace with that tempo do not remain neutral observers of the technology; they become a brake on operations.

Practice Notes: Preparing a Brigade Legal Section for a CTC Rotation During Decisive Action

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Preparing a brigade legal section (BLS) for a combat training center (CTC) rotation is a lot like preparing yourself, physically and mentally, for the Army Fitness Test (AFT). Like the AFT tests physical preparedness for battle, a CTC rotation tests how ready a brigade, and thus a BLS, is for ground combat. Just as you would not wait until the week before the AFT to begin exercising your muscles, a BLS should start exercising its tactical systems and processes at least six months in advance of the rotation.

Feature: Mental Competence and Responsibility in Courts-Martial

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:59:00 GMT

Mental health issues in courts-martial present a distinct set of procedural and substantive challenges that differ from other aspects of military justice. When an accused’s mental condition is at issue, two legally separate, but operationally intertwined, questions become relevant: whether the accused was mentally responsible at the time of the alleged offense and whether the accused is presently competent to stand trial.