Military Trial Lawyer Track
A bill has been introduced by a pair of senators aimed at creating a military trial lawyer track. The goal would be to bolster the expertise in military justice by allowing judge advocates to specialize in litigation positions. Normally, a judge advocate spends 18 to 24 months in a litigation position, and then is moved to a non-litigation position. A typical judge advocate’s time in a courtroom usually comes to an end once they reach the grade of major.
Creating a military trial lawyer track for Judge Advocates is not a new idea. In fact, the miltiary has lost many great trial attorneys over the years due to its failure to allow the trial attorney to remain in a litigation position. Instead of taking advantage of the skillset of these talented trial lawyers, the military has insisted that they rotate to non-litigation positions in an effort to have a so-called “well rounded career.” Those attorneys that have fought to stay in military trial lawyer track positions, have usually paid the price by not being competitive for promotion.
Allowing judge advocates to specialize in our most important duty of effecting military justice is an idea whose time is long overdue. As Senator Joni Ernst correctly noted, “The lack of specialized JAG litigators that currently exists in many branches of our military is an injustice to our service members who may be hindered from receiving the best trial possible.”
Military Trial Lawyer Track
During his twenty years of military service, Mr. Coombs has held nearly every possible trial lawyer duty position in the Army. During this time, Mr. Coombs has built a reputation as a skilled and formidable trial lawyer. He is widely regarded as one of the best military defense lawyers. As a military defense lawyer, he has been described by others as being “forceful,” “hardnosed,” “creative,” and “resourceful.” If you are facing a court martial, you deserve to have the very best military defense lawyer. Contact our office today for a free consultation.