270A - Legal Administrator

Duties:

Oversee a complete range of legal services to the assigned military community.

Provide technical advice and assistance to military and government attorneys and judges, commanders and staff, and enlisted and civilian legal support personnel in all areas of legal administration.

Act as adjutant or assistant adjutant in Legal Support Organizations.

Coordinate with counterparts from sister services, other agencies and allied military services with the goal of building the best industry-wide legal practices.

Have substantial knowledge, formal military education and experience in management of military operational law and procedure.

Act as legal operations specialist at a headquarters, carrying out general court-martial jurisdiction or major commands.

Act as internal control officer for military justice, ensuring that all orders, legal records and processes are in compliance with legal mandates.

Act as chief operations officer of Guard legal offices, providing management of business processes and strategic planning.

Supervise subordinate personnel, resources, facilities and equipment required to support legal services provided at various organizational levels and across the range of military operations.

Act as link between lawyers and staff, officers and enlisted, and military and civilian employees.

Be highly motivated; possess tact, initiative and mature judgment.

Be leaders, mentors and technical experts who can easily transition from garrison to field operation environments.

Be visionary leaders in the continuing transformation of the Judge Advocate General's Corps.

Legal Administrator Military Occupational Specialties

  • Review and provide technical oversight and support for:
    • Military justice functions
    • Expert witness procurement
    • Court-martial orders
    • Records of trial preparation
    • Processing times
  • Coordinate attorney contracts in accordance with Army Regulation (AR) 27-50 in overseas environments. Review and authenticate military justice and administrative legal documents.
  • Manage the overall military and civilian paralegal and administrative functions of Guard core legal disciplines (administrative law, civil law, claims, international law, legal assistance and military justice) and operational law. Ensure legal and administrative documents and processes comply with procedural rules. Formulate, recommend and execute administrative policy for the Staff Judge Advocate.
  • Technology Manager
    • Manages the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) information management functions and equipment
    • Directs the training of personnel and use of Command, Control, Communication and Computers (C4) equipment in legal operations
    • Plans, coordinates, provides, secures, operates and maintains C4 in home station and field environments.
    • Locally manages the Judge Advocate Warfighting System and ensures integration into Future Combat Systems.
    • Ensures the confidentiality of attorney work-product and attorney-client privileged information on automated information systems.
  • Resource Manager
    • Develops plans and programs, fiscal requirements, executes program budget guidance, authenticates funding obligations, monitors expenditures, manpower utilization and resourcing, and manages the Internal Controls Program
    • Manages training and temporary duty (TDY) mission, court witnesses and expert travel programs
    • Ensures that legal staff is prepared, manned, equipped and funded for military operations
  • Human Resource Manager
    • Creates and changes job descriptions; manages pay, time and attendance issues; manages training, awards and discipline issues
    • Oversees and reviews ratings of military and civilian personnel, ensuring timely and accurate reports
  • Judge Advocate Generals' Corps (JAGC)
    • Point of contact (POC) for force management at the local level
    • Coordinates active and reserve component combined operations or training
    • Analyzes legal operations and recommends methods of improving operation and delivery of total legal services, manpower utilization and execution of fiscal authority to the Staff Judge Advocate. Seeks feedback from client base for analysis. Promotes the use of legal services and represents the JAGC in the community.
  • Army Law Libraries Manager and/or Accountable Officer (AR 27-1) (hard copy and/or electronic)
    • JAGC POC to Army Law Library Service
    • Trains legal staff in the use of automated legal research materials and ensures legal research capability in remote and tactical environments; monitors research accounts for effective use of resources
    • Provides procedural guidance and technical assistance and training to military judges, attorneys, commanders and staff, legal support staff, and subordinate elements
    • Legal office/operations historian
    • Reports operational experiences to the Legal Center and School and command historians
    • Serves as office protocol officer with responsibilities for awards ceremonies, promotions and visiting dignitaries from the legal community.
    • Recorders on administrative boards in National Guard and Reserves organizations.

Prerequisites:

  1. Military Education:
    • Successful completion of the Army Legal Administrator Pre-Appointment Correspondence Course.
      • For enrollment information, contact:
      • The Judge Advocate General's School
      • U.S. Army (JAGS-ADN-C)
      • 600 Massie Road, Charlottesville
      • VA 22903-1781
      • (434) 971-3308 or DSN 521-3308
      • or
      • visit: http://www.jagcnet.army.mil/TJAGSA
  2. Civilian Education:
    • Possess a civilian education level of 14 years (two years of college) or higher. Applicant must have completed at least six credit hours of college level English. Successful completion of the English College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is the only substitute for the English requirement.
  3. Military Experience:
    • Must be in the grade of Sergeant (E-5) or above and have served in Primary Military Occupational Specialty (PMOS) 27D for at least five years
  4. GT Score:
    • Applicants must have a General Technical (GT) aptitude area score of 110 or higher.
  5. Staff Judge Advocate Interview:
    1. Each applicant will be personally interviewed by the Command SJA. The SJA will candidly evaluate and report on the applicant's:
      • Management potential
      • Motivation
      • Military bearing
      • Sincerity
      • General physical appearance and condition
      • Oral communicative skills
      • Any other matters considered appropriate
    2. The report will conclude with an evaluation of the applicant's ability and potential for assuming Legal Administrator duties in a Staff Judge Advocate office. Additionally, if the applicant has requested a waiver, the SJA will comment on whether or not they support the request.
  6. Legal Administrator Interview:
    1. The current Legal Administrator (LA) will interview each applicant. The Legal Administrator will candidly evaluate and report on the applicant's knowledge of law office administration, including but not limited to:
      • Budget administration
      • Security management
      • Information management
      • Manpower management
      • Automation management/systems
    2. The report will conclude with an evaluation of the applicant's ability and potential for assuming Legal Administrator duties in a Staff Judge Advocate office.
    3. If the applicant does not serve with a Legal Administrator or has performed duty in the current position for a short period of time (normally less than three months), the Legal Administrator evaluation is not required. In those cases, the SJA/JA evaluation will include areas normally covered in the Legal Administrator's evaluation.
  7. Chief Paralegal Interview:
    1. Each applicant will be interviewed by their Chief Paralegal Noncommissioned Officer (NCO). The Chief Paralegal NCO will candidly evaluate and report on the applicant’s:
      • Leadership ability
      • Paralegal experience
      • Army values
      • Work ethic
    2. The report will conclude with an evaluation of the applicant’s ability and potential for assuming LA duties in an SJA office.
  8. Each report will be forwarded separately to:
    • HQDA, Office of The Judge Advocate General
    • ATTN: DAJA-PTW, 1777 N. Kent Street, Suite 10001
    • Rosslyn, VA 22209-2194
    • Contents of interview reports will not be disclosed to the applicant, except as authorized by law.

*Note: Army National Guard programs and benefits are subject to change. Your local warrant officer recruiter has the most up-to-date information about job availability and bonuses in your state.