---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 806"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "806"
heading: "Art. 6. Judge advocates and legal officers"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/806"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 47 — Uniform Code of Military Justice"
  - "Subchapter I — General Provisions"
---

# §806. Art. 6. Judge advocates and legal officers

- (a)
  - (1) A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) may only serve as a [judge advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) if such member—
    - (A) is admitted to the practice of law before the highest court of a [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4), territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia;
    - (B) maintains a license status that provides current eligibility to actively practice law before such court;
    - (C) is subject to the disciplinary review process of the jurisdiction in which such member maintains such a license status; and
    - (D) is in compliance with any other requirements of such jurisdiction to remain eligible to practice law in such jurisdiction.
  - (2) The [Judge Advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) General of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard and the Staff [Judge Advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) to the Commandant of the Marine Corps may suspend the authority of a [judge advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marine Corps, respectively, to perform legal duties if such [judge advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) becomes noncompliant with the requirements of [paragraph (1)](#a-1). A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) who is suspended or disbarred from the practice of law within a jurisdiction may not perform legal duties.
- (b)
  - (1) The assignment for duty of [judge advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard shall be made upon the recommendation of the [Judge Advocate General](/usc/10/801.md?p=1) of the armed force of which they are members. The assignment for duty of [judge advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) of the Marine Corps shall be made by direction of the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The [Judge Advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) General, and within the Marine Corps the Staff [Judge Advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, or senior members of their staffs, shall make frequent inspections in the field in supervision of the administration of [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) justice.
  - (2) The assignment for duty of [judge advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) pursuant to this subsection shall include qualified [judge advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) in numbers sufficient to provide legal advice to all commanders responsible for planning and organizing [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) operations (including commanders of and within commands assigned to a combatant command or the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) element of the North American Aerospace Defense Command as established pursuant to sections [161](/usc/10/161.md) and [162](/usc/10/162.md) of this title) and all commanders authorized to convene courts-martial under sections [822](/usc/10/822.md) through [824](/usc/10/824.md) of this title (articles 22 through 24). The qualifications of [judge advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) assigned to provide legal advice to commanders under this paragraph shall include—
    - (A) the qualifications set forth in [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1); and
    - (B) any additional education, expertise, or experience determined to be necessary to fulfill the requirements of this paragraph by the [Judge Advocate General](/usc/10/801.md?p=1) of the armed force concerned, or in the case of the Marine Corps, by the Staff [Judge Advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
- (c) Convening authorities shall at all times communicate directly with their staff [judge advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) or [legal officers](/usc/10/801.md?p=12) in matters relating to the administration of [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) justice; and the staff [judge advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) or [legal officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=12) of any command is entitled to communicate directly with the staff [judge advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) or [legal officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=12) of a superior or subordinate command, or with the [Judge Advocate General](/usc/10/801.md?p=1).
- (d)
  - (1) No [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) who, with respect to a case, serves in a capacity specified in [paragraph (2)](#d-2) may later serve as a staff [judge advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) or [legal officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=12) to any reviewing or convening authority upon the same case.
  - (2) The capacities referred to in [paragraph (1)](#d-1) are, with respect to the case involved, any of the following:
    - (A) Preliminary hearing [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1), court member, [military judge](/usc/10/801.md?p=10), [military magistrate](/usc/10/801.md?p=11), or appellate judge.
    - (B) Counsel who have acted in the same case or appeared in any proceeding before a [military judge](/usc/10/801.md?p=10), [military magistrate](/usc/10/801.md?p=11), preliminary hearing [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1), or appellate court.
- (e)
  - (1) A [judge advocate](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) who is assigned or detailed to perform the [functions](/usc/10/467.md?p=1) of a civil office in the Government of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) under [section 973(b)(2)(B) of this title](/usc/10/973.md?p=b-2-B) may perform such duties as may be requested by the [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) concerned, including representation of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) in civil and criminal cases.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, and the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, shall prescribe regulations providing that reimbursement may be a condition of assistance by [judge advocates](/usc/10/801.md?p=13) assigned or detailed under [section 973(b)(2)(B) of this title](/usc/10/973.md?p=b-2-B).

## Source credit

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 39; Pub. L. 90–179, § 1(3), Dec. 8, 1967, 81 Stat. 545; Pub. L. 90–632, § 2(2), Oct. 24, 1968, 82 Stat. 1335; Pub. L. 98–209, § 2(b), Dec. 6, 1983, 97 Stat. 1393; Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title VIII, § 807(a), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3909; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(b)(1), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title V, § 531(d)(1), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1726; Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LI, § 5103, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2895; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title V, §§ 561(a), 562, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 881, 882.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 806(a)<br>806(b) | 50:556(a).<br>50:556(b). | May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 6), 64 Stat. 110. |
| 806(c) | 50:556(c). |  |

In subsection (b), the word “entitled” is substituted for the word “authorized”.

In subsection (c), the words “may later” are substituted for the words “shall subsequently”.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–60, § 561(a), added subsec. (a). Former subsec. (a) redesignated (b).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 119–60, § 562, designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

Pub. L. 119–60, § 561(a), redesignated subsec. (a) as (b). Former subsec. (b) redesignated (c).

Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 119–60, § 561(a), redesignated subsecs. (b) to (d) as (c) to (e), respectively.

2016—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114–328 amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: “No person who has acted as member, military judge, trial counsel, assistant trial counsel, defense counsel, assistant defense counsel, or investigating officer in any case may later act as a staff judge advocate or legal officer to any reviewing authority upon the same case.”

2013—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–239 substituted “The Judge Advocates General, and within the Marine Corps the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, or senior members of their staffs, shall” for “The Judge Advocate General or senior members of his staff shall”.

2002—Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 107–296 substituted “of Homeland Security” for “of Transportation”.

1986—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–661 added subsec. (d).

1983—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–209 substituted “Air Force, and” for “and Air Force and law specialists of the”.

1968—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 90–632 substituted “military judge” for “law officer”.

1967—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 90–179 substituted reference to judge advocates of the Navy for reference to law specialists of the Navy and provided for the assignment of judge advocates of the Marine Corps.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2016 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing regulations and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.

### Effective Date of 2002 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 107–296 effective on the date of transfer of the Coast Guard to the Department of Homeland Security, see section 1704(g) of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

### Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3909, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section]— shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 14, 1986]; and may not be construed to invalidate an action taken by a judge advocate, pursuant to an assignment or detail under section 973(b)(2)(B) of title 10, United States Code, before the date of the enactment of this Act.”

### Effective Date of 1983 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–209 effective first day of eighth calendar month beginning after Dec. 6, 1983, see section 12(a)(1) of Pub. L. 98–209, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.

### Effective Date of 1968 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 90–632 effective first day of tenth month following October 1968, see section 4 of Pub. L. 90–632, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.