The assignment for duty of judge advocates of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard shall be made upon the recommendation of the Judge Advocate General of the armed force of which they are members. The assignment for duty of judge advocates of the Marine Corps shall be made by direction of the Commandant of the Marine Corps. 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 make frequent inspections in the field in supervision of the administration of military justice.

Convening authorities shall at all times communicate directly with their staff judge advocates or legal officers in matters relating to the administration of military justice; and the staff judge advocate or legal officer of any command is entitled to communicate directly with the staff judge advocate or legal officer of a superior or subordinate command, or with the Judge Advocate General.

The capacities referred to in paragraph (1) are, with respect to the case involved, any of the following:

(1) No person who, with respect to a case, serves in a capacity specified in paragraph (2) may later serve as a staff judge advocate or legal officer to any reviewing or convening authority upon the same case.

The capacities referred to in paragraph (1) are, with respect to the case involved, any of the following:

(A) Preliminary hearing officer, court member, military judge, military magistrate, or appellate judge.

(B) Counsel who have acted in the same case or appeared in any proceeding before a military judge, military magistrate, preliminary hearing officer, or appellate court.

A judge advocate who is assigned or detailed to perform the functions of a civil office in the Government of the United States under section 973(b)(2)(B) of this title may perform such duties as may be requested by the agency concerned, including representation of the United States in civil and criminal cases.

(1) A judge advocate who is assigned or detailed to perform the functions of a civil office in the Government of the United States under section 973(b)(2)(B) of this title may perform such duties as may be requested by the agency concerned, including representation of the United States in civil and criminal cases.

(2) The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary 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 assigned or detailed under section 973(b)(2)(B) of this title.

(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.)