The Office of the General Counsel of the Army
The General Counsel is the chief legal adviser of the Department of the Army. He or she is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel serve as the principal legal advisers to the Army's (and, occasionally, the Department of Defense's) senior civilian and military leaders on many of the most sensitive and interesting issues affecting the Army. Attorneys in the office work in the substantive areas of acquisition, environmental law, civil works, fiscal law, ethics, personnel, international law, intelligence, and operations. Attorneys in the Honors Program advise senior policy makers with respect to the following issues: military intelligence policy, international agreements, privatization and outsourcing, acquisition of major weapons systems, the operation of the Panama Canal, base realignment and closure, water quality regulations, the United States Military Academy, the Army's hazardous waste program, regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, and the use of the Army's appropriations—to mention but a few.

The legal and policy guidance provided by the Office of the General Counsel is followed by all Army attorneys, including those in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Army Materiel Command, and all other Major Army Commands and their subordinate organizations. Difficult questions that create conflicting opinions among other legal offices are elevated to this office for resolution.

Despite its involvement in many different matters and the relatively large legal demands of its clients, the Office of the General Counsel is small. The office presently has 30 attorneys, each assigned to an area of specialization. Our small size helps to foster a collegial environment akin to that of a small, high-quality law firm. Our size also requires us to dispense with a good deal of the bureaucracy and formality that might characterize practice in other law offices. This means that the office's organization is necessarily "flat," and thus all attorneys must, when needed, be able to advise clients themselves, without the direct involvement of their supervisors (one of the four Deputy General Counsels) or the General Counsel. In short, our attorneys must be able to work independently and often develop their own working relationships with the office's clients.

The Application Process
To apply for a position in the Honors Program, please submit the information described in subparagraphs 6a(6) through (11) of Army Regulation,  AR 601-337. (If you are not already a Reserve commissioned officer, please submit the information described in subparagraphs 6a(1) through (11).) Please mail letters of recommendation to the Office of the General Counsel, 104 Army Pentagon Room 3C546, Washington, DC, 20310, Attn: Honors Attorney Recruiting. We recommend you use a package delivery company such as the United Parcel Service or FedEx Corporation. In addition to this information, please also submit a one-page resume and include the following: (1) your class rank (or best approximation) and cumulative GPA at the undergraduate and law school institutions you have attended; (2) a brief listing of what you deem to be your most significant activities at, or honors received from, such institutions; and (3) the names of those writing letters of recommendation on your behalf. You are welcome to submit any additional information you believe we should consider in reviewing your application for a position in the Honors Program.