Client Services (Legal Assistance - Special Victims' Counsel

Our Mission

The Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, located at the corner of Lee and Washington Road, is dedicated to its mission of providing legal support to the United States Army Training Center and Fort Jackson (USATC & FJ) by fairly administering the military justice system, providing quality legal advice and various legal services.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE OFFICE

The Legal Assistance Office (LAO) provides general legal advice to eligible clients on matters including, but not limited to, military administrative, civilian administrative, consumer protection (e.g., debt collection, contract issues), family law (e.g., separation, divorce, adoption, child custody, support obligations), real property (e.g., review of lease, home purchase contract), and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

The LAO also reviews and assists with the preparation of petitions to the Army Review Boards Agency (ARBA), along with rebuttal statements and appeals for Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss (FLIPLs), officer evaluation reports (OERs), noncommissioned officer evaluation reports (NCOERs), academic evaluation reports (AERs), school dismissals, administrative reprimands, and other documents in connection with military administrative actions. The office prepares estates planning documents (i.e., wills, living wills, healthcare power of attorney, durable power of attorney) by appointment only for active-duty Servicemembers and Dependents.

Active-duty Servicemembers and Dependents can schedule an appointment by calling (803) 751-4287 or emailing the Legal Assistance mailbox at usarmy.jackson.army-tng-ctr.mbx.legal-assistance@army.mil.

*Please note: Legal Assistance attorneys cannot provide representation for civil matters (e.g., divorce proceedings, criminal cases).

Hours

LEGAL ASSISTANCE OFFICE WALK-IN SERVICES HOURS

Monday – Wednesday: 9-11:15 a.m. and 12:30-4 p.m.

Thursday: 12:30-4 p.m.

Friday: 9-11:15 a.m. and 12:30-3 p.m.

The Office of the Staff Judge Advocate will remain closed on Thursday mornings for training, and these hours exclude federal and training holidays.

Notary services are available for active-duty Service members, Dependents, and Retirees.

Attorney appointments are available for active-duty Service members and active-duty Dependents only due to manpower limitations, and can be made by phone or in person.

*Hours of operation are subject to change; all changes are noted in real-time on the Fort Jackson OSJA public Facebook page.

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Eligible Clients

Active-duty Servicemembers, active-duty Dependents with a valid military ID card;
Retired active-duty Servicemembers, retired active-duty Dependents with valid military ID card (for notarization and basic POA services ONLY);
Reserve and National Guard Servicemembers (and their Dependents) who are currently mobilized by Title 10 active-duty orders for more than 29 days with a valid military ID card (copies of orders must be provided to confirm eligibility);
DOD civilians for deployment and FLIPL rebuttal matters; and
Next of kin of Servicemembers who died on active-duty status

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Special Victims' Counsel (SVC)

If you are a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence, or if you have a dependent who is a victim (whether the assault has been reported or not), you can call the legal assistance office at (803) 751-4287, or email USARMY.JACKSON.ARMY-TNG-CTR.MBX.LEGAL-ASSISTANCE@ARMY.MIL to schedule an appointment with the SVC. Your inquiry will remain confidential.

The Special Victims’ Counsel (SVC) Program was developed to strengthen the support provided to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence throughout the criminal justice process. SVCs are legal assistance attorneys with special training, designated by the Judge Advocate General to serve in the SVC role. SVCs keep their clients informed, explain and advocate throughout the criminal justice process, and can assist with connecting victims to other support services.

Constrained only by ethical limits, SVCs represent the expressed interests of their clients, as appropriate, even when such interests do not align with those of the United States government. An SVC’s primary duty is to his/her client and no other person, organization, or entity.

*Additional information related to the SVC program, including an intake form, are provided under the FORMS tab.

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Claims

All military household good claims are processed by the Center of Personnel Claims Support (CPCS), located at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Their office may be reached at (502) 624-6913 or through their website: HTTPS://WWW.JAGCNET.ARMY.MIL/APPS/PCLAIMS/PCLAIMSPUBLIC.NSF/XPPERSONNEL_CLAIM.XSP .

The Fort Jackson Claims Office investigates and processes tort claims filed against the government, and pursues recoveries from third parties on behalf of the U.S. Army and Fort Jackson. The office can be reached at 803-751-3603 or through the Claims Office Mailbox at USARMY.JACKSON.SSI.MBX.FT-JACKSON-CLAIMS@ARMY.MIL to check the status of, or obtain information for, a claim.

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