text: Legal Support to Soldiers and Families
  that deployed Soldiers receive legal assistance while simultaneously ensuring that providing such support
  does not conflict with their duty to provide legal support to the brigade.
  5-14. Given the likelihood that conflicts will arise between the interests of Soldiers and their commanders,
  judge advocates responsible for providing legal assistance need to plan carefully for this mission. They may
  seek working arrangements with the legal offices of different commands for mutual support. They might rely
  on Reserve Component legal units and attached personnel for legal assistance augmentation in support of a
  deployment. The senior defense counsel, who may assign trial defense counsel to provide legal assistance
  consistent with the trial defense mission and policies, may also provide support. The garrison or higher
  headquarters’legal assistance office may also serve as a resource for deployed legal assistance attorneys.
  SPECIAL VICTIM COUNSEL PROGRAM
  5-15. Among the Army’s efforts to combat sexual assault in the ranks, the Special Victim Counsel Program
  was developed to strengthen support to victims of sex-related offenses and enhance their rights within the
  military justice system, while neither causing unreasonable delay nor infringing upon the rights of an accused.
  The role of a special victim counsel (SVC)is to zealously represent the client’s expressed interests throughout
  the military justice process.
  5-16. SVCs are usually legal assistance attorneys, and they are specially trained and certified by TJAG to
  serve as anSVC. AnSVC provides zealous representation to client victims of sex-related offenses and under
  certain circumstances domestic violence offenses. Constrained only by ethical limits, SVCs represent the
  expressed interests of their clients as appropriate even when their client’s interest do not align with those of
  the United States. SVCs’primary duty is to theirclient and no other person, organization, or entity.
  5-17. SVCs are attached to the servicing unit’s OSJA, typically the garrison, division, or corps, regardless
  of their assignment. SVCs are supervised, managed, and rated within their OSJA. SJA and installation support
  SVCs, regardless of the Table of Distribution and Allowanceor modified table of organization and equipment
  paragraph and line number that the individual SVC occupies. Commanders of the unit to which an SVC is
  attached exercise UCMJ and administrative authority and other command functions over the SVC to the same
  extent as any other member of the command. Local units and OSJAs are responsible for funding office
  supplies and any resources needed for SVCs to accomplish their daily mission. SVCs, through their OSJA,
  may request additional funding for equipment and resources not funded by their OSJA to the Special Victim
  Counsel Office of the Program Manager.
  5-18. The SVC Program is divided into five geographic regions, with each region having an assigned SVC
  Regional Manager (SVCRM). SVCRMsare mid-level managers in the technical chain. They assist SVCs in
  their region by providing technical advice and professional responsibility supervision.They also detail clients
  to outside SVCs when the local office is precluded from representation due to a conflict. Regional managers
  also coordinate annual training for SVCs in their region and collect and analyze statistical information for
  their region.
  5-19. The Special Victim Counsel Office of the Program Manager (SVCOPM) reports to the Director,
  Soldier and Family Life Services of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (known as OTJAG) and works
  closely with the Legal Assistance Policy Division. The United States Army Legal Services Agency (known
  asUSALSA), a field operating agency supporting TJAG, provides manpower, budgetary, and administrative
  support to the SVCOPM. The SVCOPM provides technical and policy oversight of the SVC program and
  SVCs serving in the field. It is the intent that implementation of the SVC program is uniform across the
  Army. Therefore, any local policies that impact SVCs must be coordinated through the SVCRMs with the
  SVCOPM. In situations where the interests of the victim do not align with the government, the SVCRM,
  Chief of Legal Assistance, and the SVCOPM will provide technical advice and professional responsibility
  supervision in accordance with AR 27-26. Technical chain supervision provided by the SVCRM and
  SVCOPM is protected communication. Travel and training related to SVC duties are funded by the
  SVCOPM.
  5-20. SVC duties may be full-time or part-time. When performing SVC duties, SVC are legal assistance
  attorneys and, as such, the SJA, through the Chief of Legal Assistance, provides oversight of SVCs. As the
  SVC’s direct supervisor, the Chief of Legal Assistance is responsible for the continuing education of the
  SVCs at the installation level. SJAs and DSJAs ensure that all supervisors of part-time SVCs are aware of