Army Lawyer
The Army operates under a legal framework that civilians rarely encounter, and the consequences of getting it wrong extend far beyond a courtroom verdict. A soldier facing a court-martial, a Guard or Reserve member navigating a Medical Evaluation Board, or an officer contesting an adverse administrative action is not just dealing with a legal problem. They are dealing with their career, their retirement, their VA disability rating, and in some cases their freedom. What they need is not a general practitioner who has read a few military statutes. What they need is an Army lawyer who has actually served, who has sat through the same briefings, who understands what a GOMOR does to a promotion packet and why a PEB rating of ten percent instead of thirty can cost a soldier hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
Citizen Soldier Law was founded in 2013 specifically to fill a gap in legal representation for servicemembers and veterans who were not being well-served by civilian attorneys with no military background. The firm’s attorneys include retired JAG lawyers, a retired Army National Guard human resources NCO, and a board-certified physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. That combination matters enormously in Army cases, where the legal, administrative, and medical processes are inseparable. A Medical Evaluation Board proceeding is not just paperwork. It is a contest over diagnostic codes, functional limitations, and narrative summaries written by military physicians under institutional pressure to return soldiers to duty or separate them cleanly. Having a physician on the legal team who understands those documents is not a marketing point. It changes the quality of the representation.
The firm has over one hundred years of combined military service across its attorneys and staff, including veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom. That is not a background detail. In Army legal matters, the credibility of counsel, the understanding of unit culture, and the ability to speak the language of military documentation with precision directly shapes outcomes. Whether the matter involves active duty proceedings at a major installation or Reserve Component administrative actions unique to the National Guard, Citizen Soldier Law handles Army cases at the national level.
Why Citizen Soldier Law for Army Legal Representation
The founding motivation for this firm was military legal representation, specifically helping injured soldiers navigate the IDES, MEB, and PEB process. That origin matters because it means the firm did not drift into military law from a general practice background. Military representation was the reason for building the firm, and over a decade of dedicated practice in this area has produced a team with real depth. Attorney Thomas Roughneen earned his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law and holds a master’s degree in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He has served as a retired, part-time JAG lawyer, giving him a perspective that is simultaneously inside and outside the Army’s institutional processes. The firm also employs a former Assistant Prosecutor with hands-on trial experience, which matters in court-martial defense where trial advocacy skills translate directly. Dr. Alice Tzeng, M.D., who is board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, serves on the team and provides the kind of medical analysis that can make or break a disability rating dispute. For National Guard soldiers in particular, who often find themselves processed through Title 10 active duty settings without the full institutional support that active component soldiers receive, this team configuration addresses the exact vulnerabilities that typically disadvantage Reserve Component members in Army legal proceedings.
Army Legal Matters Handled at the National Level
- Medical Evaluation Boards (MEB): The MEB initiates when a soldier may not meet retention standards, and errors in the Narrative Summary, incorrect diagnostic codes, or failure to list all service-connected conditions can permanently undercut a soldier’s disability rating and separation benefits.
- Physical Evaluation Boards (PEB), Informal and Formal: An Informal PEB result that is unfavorable can be contested at the Formal PEB level, where representation makes a measurable difference. The difference between a rating of ten percent and thirty percent is not just numbers; it determines whether a soldier qualifies for a military pension and TRICARE coverage for life.
- Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES): Active duty and Reserve Component soldiers from all Army branches move through the IDES process, which coordinates the military’s disability determination with the VA’s rating system. Errors and omissions at early stages of IDES create compounding disadvantages that are difficult to reverse later without experienced Army legal counsel.
- National Guard and Reserve Officer Administrative Actions: Officers in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve face unique administrative processes when their records, performance, or conduct is at issue. These actions can result in adverse Record of Emergency Data filings, relief for cause evaluations, or separation proceedings that carry long-term career consequences.
- National Guard and Reserve Enlisted Administrative Actions: Enlisted soldiers in the Guard and Reserve are subject to administrative separation boards and other adverse personnel actions that require legal advocacy to contest effectively, particularly when the underlying conduct or medical situation is more nuanced than the initiating paperwork suggests.
- Court-Martial Defense: Soldiers charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice face proceedings with their own evidentiary rules, charging standards, and sentencing structures. Court-martial defense requires trial experience specific to military proceedings, not just general criminal defense familiarity.
- Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC): CRSC allows certain retired veterans to receive compensation for combat-related disabilities without an offset to retirement pay. Eligibility determinations and appeals require precise documentation and an understanding of how military and VA disability systems interact.
- Discharge Upgrades and Correction of Military Records: A discharge characterization or an error in a military record can follow a soldier for decades, affecting VA benefits, civilian employment, and federal hiring. The Army Board for Correction of Military Records process requires careful preparation and effective advocacy.
What Army Soldiers and Veterans Should Do When a Legal Problem Arises
The single most damaging thing a soldier can do in any Army administrative or legal proceeding is wait. Every phase of the IDES and MEB process has deadlines. A soldier who fails to respond to a proposed finding, rebut an evaluation, or request a Formal PEB hearing within the allotted time frequently loses rights that cannot be recovered. The same is true for administrative separation proceedings, where response deadlines are strict and missing them can be treated as conceding the underlying allegations. As soon as a soldier receives any official notice, whether it is a referral to the MEB, a proposed adverse administrative action, or notification of court-martial charges, the time to consult with an Army attorney is immediately.
Before that first consultation, gather every document you have access to: your service record, any medical records from military treatment facilities, any written communications from your unit or chain of command related to the matter, and any prior PEB or VA ratings if applicable. For soldiers in the National Guard or Reserve, unit administrative files and any documentation of the circumstances under which the condition was incurred or aggravated during duty status are particularly important, because duty status determines eligibility for certain benefits and the correct processing pathway. Soldiers being processed through the IDES should request a copy of the Medical Evaluation Board Proceedings packet and review every diagnosis listed before the packet is forwarded. Conditions that are omitted at the MEB stage are substantially harder to add later.
Active duty Army proceedings are handled through installations’ legal offices and, depending on the matter, may involve the Army Physical Disability Agency or other centralized processing commands. Reserve Component soldiers, including National Guard members, may find themselves moving between state-level commands and federal processing systems, which creates additional complexity that a civilian attorney without Guard experience may not anticipate. Citizen Soldier Law’s representation is national in scope for military and disability matters, meaning soldiers at any installation or in any state can receive representation without geography being a barrier.
The Reserve Component Problem: Why Guard and Reserve Soldiers Face a Harder Road
Active duty Army soldiers have access to a military legal assistance structure, unit chain of command support, and an institutional familiarity with MEB and PEB processes that Reserve Component soldiers simply do not have to the same degree. A National Guard soldier who is injured during annual training or on federal activation returns to a civilian life and a part-time military structure that is not equipped to shepherd them through an IDES process the way a Brigade support staff would for an active duty soldier. The result is that Guard and Reserve soldiers are more likely to be improperly processed, receive lower disability ratings, or miss filing windows entirely, not because their claims are weaker, but because they lack the same institutional support navigating a process designed with active duty infrastructure in mind.
Citizen Soldier Law was built by National Guard veterans who understand this gap from the inside. The firm’s founders are not translating their understanding of active duty military law into a Guard context. They are Guard veterans who have lived the part-time military structure, the dual state-federal authority, and the challenge of asserting federal rights through a system that does not always make them obvious. When the firm states that all IDES decisions are processed in Title 10 active duty settings for both MEBs and PEBs, that is not boilerplate. That is a substantive point about jurisdiction and authority that directly affects how cases are argued and where the legal leverage actually lies for Reserve Component soldiers. For Guard and Reserve soldiers across the Army, having an Army legal team that genuinely understands their specific position in the legal landscape is not optional. It is foundational to getting a fair result.
Questions About Working with an Army Attorney
What does an Army lawyer actually do that a regular civilian attorney cannot?
An Army lawyer understands the Uniform Code of Military Justice, military administrative processes, the structure of MEB and PEB proceedings, the language and culture of Army documentation, and the way institutional pressure shapes outcomes in military legal proceedings. A civilian attorney without this background may not recognize when a Narrative Summary understates a soldier’s functional limitations, or why a particular GOMOR placement on a permanent record will end a career trajectory. The difference is not just credentials. It is whether the attorney actually understands what they are reading and what it means for the client’s future.
Can Citizen Soldier Law represent soldiers at any Army installation, not just in New Jersey?
Yes. Military and disability representation at Citizen Soldier Law is national in scope. Soldiers at installations across the country, as well as Guard and Reserve members in any state, can receive representation. The firm explicitly handles IDES, MEB, PEB, and related matters for active duty and Reserve Component soldiers of all Army branches regardless of location.
What is the difference between an Informal PEB and a Formal PEB?
An Informal PEB reviews the MEB documentation and issues a rating finding without a hearing. A soldier who disagrees with the Informal PEB’s findings can request a Formal PEB, which involves an in-person hearing where the soldier can present evidence and testimony. The Formal PEB is the stage where legal representation makes the most direct difference, because it is an adversarial proceeding where preparation, medical evidence quality, and advocacy skill directly affect the outcome.
If a soldier accepts the Informal PEB finding, can they still appeal later?
Accepting an Informal PEB finding waives the right to a Formal PEB hearing. Limited appeals pathways through the Army Board for Correction of Military Records or the Physical Disability Board of Review may remain available after separation, but those processes are substantially harder and less reliable than contesting the finding before separation occurs. This is one of the most important reasons to consult with an Army attorney before accepting any PEB finding.
How does duty status affect a Guard soldier’s rights in the MEB and PEB process?
Duty status at the time a condition is incurred or aggravated is critical for National Guard soldiers. Conditions incurred during Title 10 federal activation are processed differently than those incurred during Title 32 state duty or weekend drills. The determination of duty status shapes which benefits are available, which processing pathway applies, and how the VA coordinates its rating. Errors in duty status classification can deprive a Guard soldier of federal disability benefits they are legally entitled to receive.
Can an Army attorney help after a soldier has already been separated with a low disability rating?
In many cases, yes. The Army Board for Correction of Military Records and the Physical Disability Board of Review provide post-separation appeal mechanisms. CRSC claims and VA appeals are also available avenues depending on the circumstances. The earlier a soldier seeks review, the stronger their position typically is, but separation does not end all options.
Does a court-martial conviction affect VA benefits?
Discharge characterization resulting from a court-martial can affect VA benefit eligibility. A dishonorable discharge or a bad-conduct discharge from a general court-martial typically bars most VA benefits. The specific impact depends on the nature of the discharge, the character of the misconduct finding, and the type of benefit in question. This intersection of criminal defense outcome and long-term benefits eligibility is another reason why representation in court-martial proceedings carries consequences well beyond the immediate criminal matter.
What happens if a soldier’s medical condition was not initially included in the MEB?
A condition omitted from the MEB is not necessarily lost permanently, but recovering full credit for it becomes progressively harder at each subsequent stage. The best opportunity to add conditions is during the MEB counseling phase, before the packet is forwarded to the PEB. After the PEB issues its findings, adding conditions requires a more formal objection process. A physician on the legal team who can review the medical documentation and identify unlisted conditions that meet retention standard criteria is a meaningful asset at this stage.
Can a GOMOR be removed from a permanent Army record?
A General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand placed in a soldier’s official military personnel file can be contested before the Army Special Review Board. Removal is not guaranteed and requires a compelling showing that the original filing was unjust or that the soldier’s subsequent record warrants relief. The process is procedurally demanding and benefits significantly from legal preparation, particularly when the underlying incident involves circumstances that were not fully reflected in the original documentation.
What should a soldier do if their chain of command is pressuring them to waive rights during an MEB?
A soldier who is experiencing pressure from their command to accept findings, waive hearings, or decline representation should consult with an independent Army attorney immediately. Command influence over a disability evaluation proceeding raises serious concerns about the integrity of the process, and a soldier has legal rights that exist independently of what their immediate superiors prefer. Documenting the pressure being applied and consulting with outside counsel before making any written decision is the right course of action.
Serving Army Soldiers, Veterans, and Guard Members Across the Country
Citizen Soldier Law’s representation in Army legal matters extends across the United States, serving soldiers and veterans wherever their legal needs arise. Throughout New Jersey, the firm represents Guard and Reserve members from Bergen County, Essex County, Morris County, Somerset County, Monmouth County, and Middlesex County, along with those in Atlantic County, Burlington County, Camden County, Passaic County, Union County, and Hudson County. Across the broader region, the firm handles matters for soldiers in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Because military and disability representation is national in scope, the firm also works with clients from installations and Guard units in states across the South, the Midwest, and further west, including soldiers stationed at or separated from Army installations in North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Kentucky, Washington, California, and beyond. Where Citizen Soldier Law does not directly represent a client, the firm can provide advice or refer the client to a trusted attorney in their area, with the same standard of care applied to that referral as to direct representation.
Talk to an Army Attorney at Citizen Soldier Law
The legal problems that arise from Army service, whether an MEB proceeding, a court-martial charge, an adverse administrative action, or a fight over a disability rating, are not matters where general legal advice is sufficient. What soldiers need is an Army legal team that has been where they are, understands what the documentation actually means, and knows how to contest outcomes that the institution would prefer not to revisit. Citizen Soldier Law was built for exactly these situations. The firm is available for calls at any time, because the firm understands that a soldier’s legal needs do not follow a business calendar. If you are an active duty soldier, a Guard or Reserve member, or a veteran with an unresolved Army legal issue, contact Citizen Soldier Law and speak with an Army attorney who will give you a straightforward assessment of where you stand and what your options actually are.
