If you’re going to be a lawyer and just practice your profession, well you have a skill, so you’re very much like a plumber; but if you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself, something to repair tears in your community, something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is—one lives not just for oneself, but for one’s community.

You and your spouse anxiously await word from the Personnel, Plans, & Training Office (PPTO) on your next assignment. Your spouse is hoping to obtain a highly sought-after staff judge advocate (SJA) or other leadership position. Will all the hard work, dedication, and time apart be worth it? Will it be rewarded with a coveted leadership position?

Obtaining testimony from federal civilian employees during an administrative investigation pursuant to Army Regulation (AR) 15-61 can be difficult. If approached improperly or without careful analysis, it can adversely affect both the investigation and any follow-on corrective action. This article examines some of the legal protections afforded to Department of the Army (DA) Civilian employees being interviewed as part of an AR 15-6 investigation, specifically when employee misconduct or criminal activity is suspected.

“Principled Counsel is professional advice on law and policy grounded in the Army Ethic and the enduring respect for the Rule of Law, effectively communicated with appropriate candor and moral courage, that influences informed decisions.” Although this particular definition is new to our Corps, principled counsel has been at the heart of our legal practice throughout our nation’s history.

This article is intended to do one thing: encourage the military justice community of practice to grapple with the arguments typically made when justifying the value and utility of commanders as court-martial convening authorities. To do that, this article uses the same simple method I have employed in a class I teach to West Point cadets. 

Principled Counsel: Professional advice on Law and Policy grounded in the Army Ethic and enduring respect for the Rule of Law, effectively communicated with appropriate candor and morale courage, that influences informed decisions.