7. ONLINE FORUM FOR MILITARY LAWYERS NOW AVAILABLE
“Military law” spans the legal spectrum, and includes military justice, the law of armed conflict, homeland security, environmental law, legal assistance and contracts, and many other areas that the ABA’s General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division’s Military Law Committee considers. A new tool for the discussion of these issues by lawyers who are in the military, either on active or reserve duty, lawyers who are considering a career in the military, or even those who simply have questions regarding the military, is GP-MilitarySez, an e-mail discussion list that offers an opportunity to post questions, offer advice or simply to share information.
Dubbed as a “cyber-water cooler,” GP-MilitarySez offers informality in order to encourage conversation. Interested individuals may sign up for the list from the Division’s Military Law Committee Web site. In addition to the link to GP-MilitarySez, the Military Law Committee’s Web site provides links to state bar military entities, the U.S. military branches and judge advocate links as well as information about the ABA committee.
The GP-MilitarySez list is a monitored, but un-moderated, list. Participants are expected to self-police and responsibly take part. While members of the list are encouraged to introduce themselves, there is also an “anonymous post” feature. Political posts are prohibited.
Some of the key issues to date have included legislation that would allow lawyers to represent veterans applying for disability pay and other benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the question of “how does serving in the reserves or the National Guard affect the solo or small firm lawyer?,” and the issue of whether a petty officer would still be eligible for severance pay if involuntary separated for failure to maintain physical fitness standards.
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