Military Law

Our Military Law practice is led by Ronald Meister, a former Navy JAG officer and Military Judge who was awarded the Department of the Navy Medal for achievement as the Head of Legal Services at the Headquarters of the First Naval District. Mr. Meister represented hundreds of clients in military justice and legal assistance matters while on active duty.

In civilian practice, Mr. Meister successfully argued in the case that invalidated the military death penalty statute, and has written briefs in Supreme Court cases concerning court-martial jurisdiction, the powers of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the Constitutionality of procedures for the trial of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. He successfully defended a U.S. Navy nurse facing disciplinary action for refusing to force-feed detainees at Guantanamo Bay. For his Guantanamo advocacy, our firm was awarded the Beacon of Justice Award of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and the Human Rights Award of the Southern Center for Human Rights.

Mr. Meister has represented current and former service members, veterans, and cadets at military service academies in cases involving involuntary recall to active duty, unauthorized absence, failure to register for Selective Service, discharge upgrades, and pay disputes. He has been a frequent radio and television commentator on military law issues, and is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Military Justice. His articles and presentations on military law include "The Supreme Court, Guantanamo Bay and Justice Fix-it" (Berger International Law Speaker Series, Cornell Law School), "When Ethics and Order Don't Mix" (Michigan State University College of Law Symposium), “An Ensign for the Coffin” (Yale Law Report), and “I Saw Shaft Seven Times” (Military Justice Gazette).