R 180800Z DEC 24
MARADMIN 611/24
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC JA//
SUBJ/REORGANIZATION FOR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES SUPPORT//
REF/A/FY22 NDAA//
REF/B/DOC: MARADMIN 65/23//
REF/C/DOC: SECDEF MEMO/2JUL21//
REF/D/DOC: SECDEF MEMO/22SEP21//
REF/E/DOC: MCO 5800.16 CH-7//
NARR/REF (A) IS THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2022, REF (B) IS THE MARADMIN ANNOUNCING OSTC FOC, REF (C)
IS SECDEF MEMORANDUM ON ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE TO
ADDRESS SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY, REF
(D) IS SECDEF MEMORANDUM COMMENCING ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION TO
ADDRESS SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY, AND
REF (E) IS THE LEGAL SUPPORT AND ADMINISTRATION MANUAL (LSAM)//
POC/J. A. LORE/COL/JAD, HQMC/JOSEPH.LORE@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This message announces a reorganization to the
delivery of legal services support following the realignment of the
Marine Corps Legal Community in response to statutory and Secretary
of Defense (SECDEF) mandated military justice reform, as well as
Force Design. Legal services support beyond the organic capability
of a command’s staff judge advocate (SJA) is now provided via three
Regional Law Centers and their subordinate Law Centers. Support for
the National Capital Region and Marine Corps Forces Reserve
(MARFORRES) is provided by a stand-alone Law Center. This
reorganization also captures the creation of the independent Marine
Corps Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC), and the creation of
an independent Trial Services Organization (TSO) that reports
directly to the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine
Corps. These two prosecution organizations join the previously
established independent Defense Services Organization (DSO) and
Victims’ Legal Counsel Organization (VLCO).
2. Background. The legal support mission, particularly the
military justice function, has increased in both scope and
complexity. A number of reviews of the provision of military
justice mandated by both Congress and SECDEF have resulted in
statutes and directives to improve the quality and delivery of
military justice. In particular, reference (a) directed the creation
of an OSTC, which was announced as fully operationally capable in
reference (b). Additionally, in references (c) and (d), SECDEF
mandated changes in response to the Independent Review Commission on
Sexual Assault in the Military. Simultaneously, the Marine Corps has
been executing Force Design, driving significant changes in how the
Marine Corps is postured for a future conflict. In response to this
changing landscape, the Marine Corps Legal Community has reorganized
how it provides legal services support to the total force.
3. Summary of Significant Changes. In addition to capturing the
creation of the OSTC and TSO, this reorganization has modified and
improved several other capabilities within the Marine Corps Legal
Community. The OSTC, TSO, DSO, and VLCO will now have their own
supervisory chain and monitored command codes (MCCs) aligning under
Headquarters, Marine Corps, though personnel will still physically be
located at Law Centers aboard Marine Corps installations and will
still be administratively assigned to the supporting Marine Corps
Installations Command region. The reorganization has also added new
44XX structure to Fleet Marine Force (FMF) and supporting
establishment (SE) SJA offices. These changes will optimize the
provision of legal support, while increasing the ability of the
Marine Corps to meet current and emerging requirements and manage
legal talent.
4. Nomenclature. The nomenclature associated with legal services
support has changed in the following ways:
4.a. The Legal Services Support Sections (LSSS) located at Marine
Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton, MCB Camp Lejeune, and MCB Camp
Butler have been renamed Regional Law Centers (RLC). The Legal
Services Support Teams (LSST) subordinate to those LSSSs are now
known as Law Centers (LC).
4.b. The LSSS at MCB Quantico is also now known as a
Law Center (LC), but has additional responsibilities to support
MARFORRES and its subordinate commands.
4.c. A Regional Director of Legal Services (RDLS) will be located
at MCB Camp Pendleton, MCB Camp Lejeune, and MCB Camp Foster. The
RDLS is responsible for the supervision of subordinate LCs. LCs
will be led by a Law Center Director (LCD). A Director of Legal
Services (DLS) will be located at MCB Quantico.
4.d. Subordinate LCs are assigned as follows:
4.d.1. RLC-MCIWEST: Camp Pendleton, MCAS Miramar, MCAS Yuma, and
29 Palms.
4.d.2. RLC-MCIEAST: Camp Lejeune, MCAS Cherry Point, and
MCRD Parris Island.
4.d.3. RLC-MCIPAC: Okinawa, Hawaii, and MCAS Iwakuni.
5. SJAs, RDLSs, DLS, and LCDs should review the updated tables of
organization and ensure personnel initiate security clearance
investigations and maintain security clearances that correspond to
their billet.
6. In order to meet growing command legal advice requirements for
the FMF and SE, additional structure has been added to SJA offices.
Other changes as a result of this reorganization will not affect the
provision of command legal advice by a command’s SJA.
7. When operational requirements exceed the organic capacity of
FMF SJA offices, standard force augmentation and global sourcing
processes will be used. RDLSs, DLS, and LCDs will ensure that
Marines at the LCs are ready to support the FMF in the event augments
are requested.
8. Future revisions to reference (e) will provide additional
information.
9. Release authorized by Major General David J. Bligh,
Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.//