Introduction

The military uses standard procedures for activation of large numbers of reservists. The legal component of activation occurs under the direction of the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) or Naval Legal Service Office (NLSO) at each mobilization station (often one base within a region is designated as the central mobilization site). Reservists called up for active duty are routed through a series of services during which they receive: medical and dental checkup, review of military financial records, and a will and powers of attorney. While mobilizations place a strain on the resources of the military legal assistance system, that system is equipped to provide services so long as the mobilization is of modest proporations. It is a process that is standard protocol for the deployment of troops and is considered integral to the military's policy of taking care of its own.

How to Communicate What Your Bar is Doing

The chiefs of legal assistance of the respective service branches have asked that bar associations post the services that they are making available to military personnel on a web site that will be housed at the ABA Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) Internet site. In this way, the SJAs or NLSO Commanding Officers responsible for reserve readiness efforts can access information from across the country in one location. It is critical that bar association descriptions include detailed information regarding the type of legal services that are being made available, who is the point of contact at your bar association, and what method (e-mail is much preferred by the military) should be used to interact with your bar association. This is a work in progress, and we appreciate your input on how to make it more functional.