text: Chapter 4
  Legal Support to the Army
  This chapter provides a detailed description of the four legal functions supporting the
  Army as an institution. They include administrative and civil law, contract and fiscal
  law, military justice, and national security law.
  LEGAL FUNCTION: ADMINISTRATIVE AND CIVIL LAW
  4-1. Administrative and civil law is that body of law containing the statutes, regulations, and judicial
  decisions that govern the establishment, functioning, and command of military organizations andthe duties
  of military organizations and installations with regard to civil authorities. Availability of personnel,
  resources, and office space often affects how a legal office covers this core function. Larger legal offices
  often separate administrative law and civil law into separate branches within theoffice
  ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
  4-2. Several DOD and Army regulations govern and regulate military command policies and decisions.
  Generally, the practice of administrative law involves legal support to commanders in various specialized
  areas concerning DOD and Armyregulations. These specialized areas include general statutory, regulatory,
  and policy compliance;government ethics and standards of conduct;investigations;and Army claims.
  4-3. Administrative law attorneys perform multiple tasks in support of operations. These tasks include—
  (cid:122) Providinglegal support to administrative investigations.
  (cid:122) Providinglegal support to theater specific personal conduct policies.
  (cid:122) Providinglegal support to Freedom of Information Act (known as FOIA), Privacy Act, and Health
  Insurance Portability Accountability Act (known as HIPAA) compliance.
  (cid:122) Providinglegal support to public affairs and command messaging.
  (cid:122) Administeringdeployment claims and advise on solatia.
  (cid:122) Providing advice and administering the DOD ethics program at the unit level according to
  DODD5500.07.
  (cid:122) Providinggeneral administrative law support to include—
  (cid:131) Advice to boards and preliminary hearing officers.
  (cid:131) Advice to sexual harassment and assault response and prevention and equal opportunity
  programs.
  (cid:131) Legal reviews of command policies, scope of command authority, and effect of laws,
  regulations, and policy on operations, and those required by regulations and the UCMJ.
  (cid:131) Military property transition and disposal.
  4-4. Administrative law support is typically provided at brigade headquarters, main and tactical CPsin the
  divisions and corps, theater sustainment command (TSC) headquarters, ASCCs, installation OSJAs, and each
  joint and multinational headquarters. Administrative law attorneys require robust legal research capabilities
  and technical support structure to provide specialized legal knowledge and retain flexibility to solve different
  problems as an operation progresses.
  4-5. Administrative law attorneys invest considerable time and effort on command investigations, as these
  may significantly impact the unit and mission. In accordance with AR 15-6, command investigations may be
  conducted as preliminary inquiries, administrative investigations, or as a board of officers. Administrative
  law attorneys advise commanders to consider the purpose of the inquiry, seriousness of the subject matter,