Hats
off to the many military lawyers who volunteer their
time and service to the Division. These men and
women of honor are responsible for encouraging participation
in the Division by serving as the voice of the military
lawyer within the Division. The committee coordinates
communication between the Division and the military;
monitors developments in the area of military law; educates
the Division about particular issues that could warrant
action by the Division; exposes Division members to military
law and the possibility of a career as military lawyer
and conducts outreach to local military lawyers at the
ABA meeting sites.
The
Division’s Military Law Committee consists of
the five military branches; U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S.
Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Coast Guard
lawyers who report and discuss issues that are before
the House of Delegates, Legal Assistance for Military
Personnel (LAMP), Standing Committee on Armed Forces
Law (SCAFL), Department of Defense (DoD), Servicemembers
Civil Relief Act (SCRA), Judge Advocate Association (JAA)
and many others. The committee is currently reviewing
the BADC
Report and Recommendation regarding The Feres Doctrine, an
issue that will be considered by the ABA House of Delegates
at the 2008 Annual Meeting in New York City.
General
John S. Cooke (U.S. Army Ret.), Chair, and the committee
meets in person at the ABA Annual and Midyear Meetings
and by list serve or telephone conference call at other
times as necessary. Retired member emeritus; John
R Debar, Alan E. DeWoskin, John S. Jenkins, Jr., and
Earle F. Lasseter have contributed greatly to the Division. Many
officers of the military as Gary L. Anderson, Bryan S.
Spencer, Gregory M. Huckabee, Alexander White (former
committee chair), Charles A. White, Jr., Joseph A. DeWoskin,
Benes Z. Aldana, William E. Brown and James. M. Durant
III are among the long standing, active members of the
committee and the Division.
The
committee host the Military Law Luncheon at the ABA Annual
and Midyear meetings and award a recipient honoring the
life and legacy of the ninth Judge Advocate, Major General,
(USAF Retired) Keithe E. Nelson who died in 2002. Gen.
Earl E. Anderson was honored as the first recipient of
the Section’s Difference Maker, Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2004. Military Law Day is among the prestigious
events of the ABA and the Division. In keeping
with their tradition of informative programming and delightful
social events, the planning group for this committee
prepares a full day of activities for Military Law Day
during the ABA Annual Meeting. The officials of
this group conducts the United States Armed Forces Court
of Appeals Swearing-in Ceremony. Both civilians
and military attorneys may apply for admission to the
court.
A
special highlight at the Annual Meeting is the “Dining
Out” event which represents the most formal aspects
of military social life. It is believed that the
practice dates back to sixth-century England, where King
Arthur’s knights held formal ceremonies to honor
military victories and feats of heroism. These ceremonies
usually included a dinner of fine foods, drinks, and
fellowship. Later, this custom spread to monasteries,
universities, and eventually to the military officers’ messes.
With the adoption of the Dining Out by the military,
these feasts became more formalized. British soldiers
introduced the custom to colonial America, where it was
borrowed by George Washington’s Continental Army. In
its present form, the Dining Out serves to bring officers
and their guests together in an atmosphere of fellowship
and to enhance the luxuries of life. For civilian guests,
it is an opportunity to gain insight into the social
world of the uniformed officers. These dinners have become
traditional in all the branches of the armed forces.
In the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard, it is the Dining
In; in the Army, the Regimental Dinner; in the Marine
Corps it is the Mess Night.
The
committee has published books with the Standing Committee
on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel. They
provide valuable and updated information for the website
and have implemented CLE program on military law issues.
In honor of General Earl E. Anderson, the committee has earned free membership
in the Division, in addition to the ABA's
dues waiver for lawyers serving in combat zone. This
offer continues through August 31, 2008.
All GP|Solo
committees are staffed by volunteer members just like
you! To get involved, visit abanet.org/genpractice/committee now.
