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Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy

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The Judge Advocate General's Corps also known as the "JAG Corps" or "JAG" is the legal arm of the US Navy. Today the corps consists of a worldwide organization of more than 730 Judge Advocates, 30 Limited duty Officers (law), 500 enlisted and nearly 275 civilian personnel, serving under the direction of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy.

The headquarters of the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Department of the Navy is located at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C..

History

In 1775, the Continental Congress enacted the Articles of Conduct, governing the ships and men of the Continental Navy. However, soon thereafter, all of these ships were sold and the Navy and Marine Corps were disbanded. In July 1797, Congress, after authorizing construction of six ships, enacted the Rules for Regulation of the Navy as a temporary measure. Then, in 1800, Congress enacted a more sophisticated code adopted directly from the British Naval Code of 1749. There was little or no need for lawyers to interpret these simple codes, nor was there a need for lawyers in the uncomplicated administration of the Navy prior to the American Civil War.

During the Civil War, however, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles named a young assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia to present the government's case in complicated courts-martial. Without any statutory authority, Secretary Welles gave Wilson the title of "Solicitor of the Navy Department," making him the first House Counsel to the United States Navy.

By the Act of March 2, 1865, Congress authorized "the President to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for service during the rebellion and one year thereafter, an officer of the Navy Department to be called the 'Solicitor and Naval Judge Advocate General.'" The United States Congress maintained the billet on a year-to-year basis by amendments to the Naval Appropriations Acts. In 1870, Congress transferred the billet to a newly established Justice Department with the title of Naval Solicitor.

In 1967, Congress decided to establish the Judge Advocate General's Corps within the Department of the Navy. The legislation was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on December 8 1967, and ensured Navy lawyers' status as staff officers within the Navy, similar to physicians and chaplains.

The Insignia

The official insignia of the JAG Corps consists of two gold oak leaves, curving to form a semi-circle in the center of which is balanced a silver "mill rinde" [sic], In ancient France, the fer de moline, or millrind, was a symbol of equal justice for all under the law. The two counterbalancing oak leaves are identical and connote the scales upon which justice is weighed. Oak leaves denote a corps, and symbolize strength, particularly the strength of the hulls of the early American Navy, which were oak-timbered. In the milling of grains, the millrind was used to keep the stone grinding wheels an equal distance apart to provide consistency in the milling process. It, thus, symbolizes that the wheels of justice must grind exceedingly fine and exceptionally even. In the sixteenth century, this symbol was adopted in England as a symbol for lawyers.

The millrind can also be found in both the Staff Corps Officers Specialty Insignia and in the Enlisted Rating Insignia (LN Legalman).

Offices

Headquarters

Naval Legal Service Offices (NLSO)

Northcentral

Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Central

Southwest

Northwest

Pacific

Europe and Southwest Asia

Region Legal Service Offices (RLSO)

Northeast

Southeast

East

West

Pacific

Europe and Southwest Asia

Trial Judiciary Offices

  • Northern Circuit, Washington, D.C.
  • Central Circuit, Norfolk, VA
  • Eastern Circuit, Camp LeJeune, NC
  • Southern Circuit, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Mayport, FL
  • Western Circuit, San Diego, CA; Bremerton, WA; Camp Pendleton, CA
  • WESTPAC Circuit, Pearl Harbor, HI; Okinawa, Japan; Yokosuka, Japan

Judge Advocate General of the Navy

The Judge Advocate General of the Navy (JAG) and the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy (DJAG) are appointed positions. They are both nominated by the President and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. The JAG and DJAG are appointed to a four year term of office but they usually serve for three. The JAG and DJAG have historically been officers in the service of the Navy. However, Title 10 USC 5148(b) states that a Marine can be appointed to either position as long as he meets the requirements stated in the section. If the appointee for either position holds a lower grade, he is then by law appointed to the grade of a two-star Rear Admiral or Major General upon taking the oath of office. Other than age and years of military service, there is no other statute of limitations on how many times a JAG or DJAG can be renominated for appointment to that position if the President so chooses.

See also

External links



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Last updated on Friday February 22, 2008 at 13:36:15 PST (GMT -0800)
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