What is a military lawyer?

A military lawyer is an attorney who specializes in military law. Military lawyers—also known as judge advocates—are authorized to practice in both civilian courts and court-martials, and they are responsible for representing the interests of service members who are charged with offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) or other military regulations. Military lawyers typically provide legal advice on a wide range of topics, including administrative proceedings, courts-martial, military personnel issues, environmental law, international law, operational law, family law, and criminal law. They may also represent service members in appeals, administrative separations, and non-judicial punishments. Military lawyers may serve in active duty or Reserve components of the armed forces, and they are typically assigned to a military command or judge advocate office. In addition to their work as attorneys, military lawyers often advise commanders and other personnel on a variety of legal topics, such as military regulations and operational law. Military lawyers may work in civilian law for a period of time after leaving the military, but they often return to the military as careers judges, as military prosecutors, as staff attorneys, or as general counsels.

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What is a military lawyer?

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