TJAG & RCSM Sends Vol. 41-11 - Opening of the U.S. Army Advocacy Center

Opening of the U.S. Army Advocacy Center

We are excited to announce today’s opening of the U.S. Army Advocacy Center located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Comprised of seven state-of-the-art courtrooms and a large training room with the newest audio-visual technology, the Advocacy Center will serve as the JAG Corps' most modern training facility. The Advocacy Center's mission is to develop and execute the JAG Corps’ institutional advocacy training programs and to conduct new advocacy courses, which will enhance the expertise of JAG Corps personnel in support of the Army’s military justice and civil litigation programs. This mission takes on even greater importance with the advent of MJ-Next and recent legislative changes to our legal practice. The Advocacy Center is led by COL(R) Mike Mulligan, one of our Corps' legendary litigators and leaders, and we have no doubt that he and his team will provide the finest training to the next generation.

Use of the Advocacy Center will be for both military and civilian members of our Corps and our sister services legal personnel. Available courses may take an interdisciplinary approach and invite attorneys and paralegals to train simultaneously, while others may be narrowly tailored for a specific litigation subject. Consistent with its mission, the Advocacy Center will be the primary destination for JAG Corps post-Officer Basic Course advocacy training programs. The Trial Counsel Assistance Program (TCAP), the Defense Counsel Assistance Program (DCAP), the Trial Defense Service (TDS), military judges, and the special victims counsel program office, among others, will work closely with the Advocacy Center staff to publish a training calendar on JAGCNET that incorporates course descriptions and the latest legal developments.

The Advocacy Center will incorporate lessons learned from the field to better understand the use of the newest methods, practices, and technologies in our courtrooms. By working with local partners, the Department of Justice, and others to develop our counsel, the Advocacy Center will become the premier training facility in the Department of Defense (DoD) and lead the DoD’s effort to continue professionalizing advocacy across our Corps. Future courses, as well as photographs of the Center, are available now via the Advocacy Center's website on JAGCNET here.

This is an exciting time for our Corps! We expect all leaders to provide opportunities for their counsel, paralegals, and paraprofessionals to utilize this new training facility, which will prepare them to take on assignments of increased responsibilities. In this manner, we will continue to master the law and our craft, and steward our personnel and profession into the future. As always, we’ll meet you on the high ground!

STUART W. RISCH

Lieutenant General, USA

The Judge Advocate General

MICHAEL J. BOSTIC

Command Sergeant Major, USA

Regimental Command Sergeant Major