The Judge Advocate General shall detail in his office one or more commissioned officers as appellate Government counsel, and one or more commissioned officers as appellate defense counsel, who are qualified under section 827(b)(1) of this title (article 27(b)(1)).

Appellate Government counsel shall represent the United States before the Court of Criminal Appeals or the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces when directed to do so by the Judge Advocate General. Appellate Government counsel may represent the United States before the Supreme Court in cases arising under this chapter when requested to do so by the Attorney General.

Appellate defense counsel shall represent the accused before the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, or the Supreme Court—

(1) when requested by the accused;

(2) when the United States is represented by counsel; or

(3) when the Judge Advocate General has sent the case to the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

The accused has the right to be represented before the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, or the Supreme Court by civilian counsel if provided by him.

Military appellate counsel shall also perform such other functions in connection with the review of court martial cases as the Judge Advocate General directs.

To the greatest extent practicable, in any capital case, at least one defense counsel under subsection (c) shall, as determined by the Judge Advocate General, be learned in the law applicable to such cases. If necessary, this counsel may be a civilian and, if so, may be compensated in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 62; Pub. L. 90–632, § 2(31), Oct. 24, 1968, 82 Stat. 1342; Pub. L. 98–209, § 10(c)(3), Dec. 6, 1983, 97 Stat. 1406; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IX, § 924(c)(1), (2), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2831; Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LIX, § 5334, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2936.)