Citizen-Soldier Lawyers, 0720 ALBJ, Vol. 81 No. 4 Pg. 290 (July, 2020)
| Author | By Lt. Col. Thomas J. Skinner, IV |
| Position | Vol. 81 4 Pg. 290 |
By Lt. Col. Thomas J. Skinner, IV
The men and women of the Alabama National Guard Judge Advocate General’s Corps are more than just lawyers; they are soldiers and airmen, officers and leaders, and advocates for the principles of freedom, liberty, and justice upon which our nation was founded. Each has their own reasons for serving, but they all possess a pronounced sense of duty and love of country. They come from all walks of life and represent all geographic areas of the state; the Tennessee Valley, the Wiregrass, the Black Belt, and the Gulf Coast.
As an organization, the military has always required professional, competent legal counsel to fulfill its duty to the nation. In 1775, during the events that led to the birth of our nation, Gen. George Washington established the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Then, the need for lawyers focused on ensuring good order and discipline in the ranks through an efficient military-justice system. As the concept of international law as a means of regulating armed conflict took root in the early-to-mid-20th century, military lawyers began work in both preventing and prosecuting war crimes. More recently, Article 82 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 established a requirement for all signatory nations to provide legal advisors for their armed forces for the purposes of ensuring compliance with the laws of armed conflict. Today, in addition to their military justice and international law responsibilities, military lawyers perform a wide range of legal services including contracts and fiscal policy, adherence to laws protecting United States citizens from surveillance and military-intelligence operations, providing legal assistance to service members, and resolving claims against the government for damages caused by military exercises or operations.
The purpose of this article is to introduce you to members of the Alabama State Bar-your colleagues-who currently fulfill these important roles.
Capt. Lucas Beaty, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne)-Ardmore
Capt. Lucas Beaty lives in Limestone County where he has a criminal defense and general litigation practice. He opened his practice in Athens in April 2011, shortly after his admission to the bar. Capt. Beaty is married to Kasey, his best friend and middle school sweetheart, with whom he shares two daughters, Isabel and Reese. Capt. Beaty acknowledges that without the support of Kasey, "there is no way I could have the experiences I've had."
Capt. Beaty graduated from Ardmore High School in 2000 and spent that summer working two jobs to pay for a trip to Australia as a member of a statewide football team. When his college football aspirations did not come to fruition, he joined the Army. He enlisted as an M1A1 tank crewman-a "tanker"-on November 2, 2000. Capt. Beaty recalls, "I originally joined up because I wanted out of the house, I wanted to drive a tank, and the college money was really good. It didn't hurt that my father and both grandfathers had served, as well." After graduating basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Capt. Beaty was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia, where he learned he would be a crewman for his battalion commander's tank.
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks occurred during his second year on active duty. Capt. Beaty's battalion had just returned from a month-long exercise when the terrorist attacks resulted in Fort Benning's being "locked down" for security reasons, and Capt. Beaty was unable to leave the base until Christmas 2001. In March 2002, Capt. Beaty deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Desert Spring, spending the next several months driving his tank all over the Kuwaiti Desert.
Capt. Beaty's two-year enlistment ended on November 1, 2002. After leaving the Army, he entered Athens State University. After graduating from Athens State, Capt. Beaty enrolled at the Mississippi College School of Law, earning his J.D. in December 2010. A few weeks later his first daughter was born, Capt. Beaty was admitted to the Alabama State Bar, and he spent the next four years building his practice and supporting his family.
In 2014, a colleague approached Capt. Beaty about joining the Alabama Army National Guard JAG Corps. Capt. Beaty completed the application process, and in July 2015, at 33 years of age, Capt. Beaty received a direct commission as a first lieutenant in the Alabama Army National Guard. As a judge advocate, Capt. Beaty has served in the Trial Defense Service-the branch of the JAG Corps responsible for providing legal defense for accused soldiers-and he now serves as a battalion judge advocate within the...
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