12-36. Legal assistance shall be provided at the CSSA headquarters, the CST headquarters, the headquarters and rear posts of the divisions and corps of the Army of Excellence, as well as at the main command posts of the divisions of the XXI Force and, as appropriate, brigades or lower ranks. While each troop-contributing country is responsible for providing legal assistance to its personnel, some legal assistance may be required at joint or multinational headquarters. 12-2. Command and staff functions include advising commanders, staffs and soldiers on the legal aspects of command, command discipline, use of force and the laws of war. Examples of the command and control responsibility of counsel for judges include: 12-1. Legal support to operations includes all legal services provided by judges and other legal personnel to support units, commanders and soldiers in an area of operations (AO) and across the operational spectrum. Legal support to operations is divided into three functional areas: command and control, maintenance and personnel support (referred to as support). 12-13. Military justice services are usually centralized to allow for timely and efficient delivery; However, military justice advice is provided at all levels of command. Normally, the Army Military Component Command (ASCC), Corps, Division or other headquarters commanded by a general court martial authority administers courts martial. Joint Force Commanders (JFCs) and Army brigade and battalion commanders also have the authority to convene courts martial and may require assistance in conducting courts martial.
A military tribunal lawyer is required for General Court Martial authorities, including JFCs with general jurisdiction in court martial, subordinate commanders, and the U.S. element of a multinational organization. 12-7. AJS typically provide OPLAW support in each brigade headquarters (Principal Command Post [PC]) and in each key operational cell at each senior command level (tactical PC, main PC, rear PC, G3 plans, operations G3, information operations cell and target cell). OPLAW supports all joint and multinational headquarters. Some missions also require OPLAW support at the battalion level or in specialized units or operational cells. This is increasingly the case in peace missions and disaster relief. 12-38. The JAGC requires a specialized information system to provide appropriate legal services at all levels of management. This is the Legal Automation Army-Wide System (LAAWS).
LAAWS integrates legal information and services into a network that projects legal services down to the battalion level and enables the exchange of appropriate legal work results. LAAWS provides standardized software throughout the JAGC and includes modules and databases for all core legal disciplines. LAAWS programs process, transmit, receive, and display essential information. The legal references compiled by LAAWS are available on compact disc and through databases on the JAGC Information Network (JAGC Net at www.jagcnet.army.mil), a working group consisting of more than 70 computer servers and thousands of customers worldwide. SJA sections, military judges and defense attorneys use LAAWS and the JAGC network, which are critical to the accuracy and responsiveness of operational legal services. Judge advocates must also have access to databases and classified information through the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET). 12-20. Administrative assistance is generally provided at brigade headquarters, the main and rear command posts of the divisions and corps of the army of excellence, the rear command posts of the divisions of Force XXI, the headquarters of COSCOM and the upper headquarters of the army, joint and multinational.
Because of the multitude of problems they face, administrative law lawyers in particular must be able to conduct specific research and technical legal texts. 12-41. Modern theatrical operations often take place in a fluid, chaotic and deadly environment where mobility is limited. Legal advice is urgent and often essential, impacting C2 and support operations. Legal staff must have access to tactical networks that provide situational awareness. The Conference of the Parties shall enable legal personnel to apply their professional training to identify potential legal problems and to take proactive, timely and effective measures to eliminate or minimize the impact of such legal issues on the accomplishment of the mission. Avoiding legal problems is always preferable to solving legal problems. This is the most effective method and directly contributes to the combat effectiveness of the organization.