BOOK REVIEW

• Pages: 04

FEDERAL PROCUREMEST LAW

Nash, Ralph C., Jr., and John Cibinic, Jr., Federal Procurement Lato, 3d ed., volume I. Washington, D.C.: The George Washington University, 1977. Pp. 938. Cost: $40.00.

Reviewed by Major Gay L. Hopkins*

When members of the Judge Advocate General's Corps complete the basic class,' most expect to practice criminal law. My expectations upon completion of the basic class in 1970 were no different. When I anived at my first duty assignment, Fort Wolters, Texas, you can imapine, therefore, my dismay to learn that I was to be the legal adviser to the installation contracting officer. Unreviewed contracts littered my new desk, a protest was pending before the General Accounting Office, and the contracting officer was in the midst of negotiating a 513 million helicopter maintenance contract. l m s in the midst of heart failure.

Anyone familiar with the Armed Services Procurement Regulation (now Defense Acquisition Regulation) knows that it is not the most succinct introduction to the field of federal contract law. Nor is it an ~ C C ~ S E

to cam law in the area. My salvation in both respects was the 1969 edition

*JAGC, U.S.

Amy. Chief, Contract Law Division. The Judge Advocate General's Sehool. Chariotreswile, Virgmia, 197%80 Imtmctor and aenior insirnetor, 197619. Author of Legal Implications ofRernote Sewing of Eaeh Re~rrn~e~s by Saldht*, 18 Mil. L Rev 67 (19'77). and Contracting mth LheDtsaduantoged,Sac. WaJ and ths Small Buatnsas Admtnzst?at%on, 1 Pub. Conf. L. J 169 (1976),and other mtmgs. Co-author with LTC Robert M. Nvtt of The Anti-Def%ciency Act (Rewed StatzLtes S679) and Funding Federal Contraeta An Anoiysu, 80Mil. L. Rev. 51 (1918).

The Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course 1s taught at The Judge Advocate General's School, Chariottesviiie. Virpia Nmereeksin length, itisglrenthree times a year. Its stated purpose is "[tlo provide officere newly appomted in the Judge Advocate General's Corps wth the baax arlenfatlon and trsmng neeessaq ta perform the duties of P judge advocate.'' Concerning substantive canrent, "[tlhe cow% stresses military criminal iw and procedure and other areas of military IPW

[>.e , administrative and civil law, contract law, and inrernat~~nal inwl whnh we mmf likely ta concern a judge advocate officer m hla firat duly assignment." The Army Laryer, Mar. 1979, at 27

.

of Federal Procurement Law by Professors Ralph C. Nash, Jr. and John Cibinic, Jr, This text served also in later years ar a ease book during a course of study an government contract law. It ivaa just as effective for this purpose as when I used it ab a deskbook at Fort Wolters. Without doubt, the book fulfilled the original purpose of the authors to provide a text "to support the teaching of the law of federal procurement and to serve as a deskbook for lawyers practicing in this field."

In 1977 my old reliable 1969 edition gave wa?, ~n part, to volume I of the third edition of Federal Procurement Lax. Volume I covers contract formation and related matters. Volume 11, when publiahed, will deal with contract performance.

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