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TRIAL DEFENSE SERVICE

The United States Army Trial Defense Service’s mission is to provide a full-range of defense legal services to Soldiers. These services include:

  • Representing Soldiers charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) at courts-martial and Article 32 pretrial investigations;
  • Representing Soldiers during criminal investigations and before elimination or grade reduction boards;
  • Counseling Soldiers regarding pretrial restraint, nonjudicial punishment (Article 15s), and various adverse administrative actions taken pursuant to military regulations.

Defense Counsel and Paralegals

The Trial Defense Service (TDS) is part of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps and was established in 1980 as a separate activity of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency. To ensure objectivity and fairness, TDS counsel are completely independent of local commands and the post legal advisors. They are supervised and rated by their superiors within TDS.

Fort Myer Trial Defense Hours of Operation and Location
Monday through Friday: 0730-1630, closed on Federal Holidays.

229 Forrest Circle (Building 229)
Fort Myer, VA 22211 (Directions)

Appointments

Please call 703-696-6700 to schedule an appointment.

For Reserve (TPU) Soldiers our local counterpart is the 154th LSO. They can be reached at 703-960-7397. They also drill the second weekend of the month.

Routine TDS Briefings

Tuesday and Thursday 0900: Article 15s (call to confirm an appointment)
Tuesday and Thursday 1300: Chapters (call to confirm an appointment)

Note to Units: Soldiers attending briefings will need a complete packet. The Defense Counsel cannot advise the Soldier without all documents stating the charges the Soldier is facing. For Soldiers pending nonjudicial punishment (Article 15s) there should be an initial reading done by the commander or their representative along with the commander’s signature prior to the Soldier being seen. For Soldiers pending separation under AR 635-200 (Chapters) there should be a notification done by the commander or their representative along with the commander’s signature prior to the Soldier being seen.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is not a substitute for legal advice specific to your situation. Every case is unique. Please make an appointment w/ our office to review your circumstances so that we can provide specifically tailored legal advice to your situation.