What’s new from the Military Law Task Force?
MLTF on the Pentagon’s Rushed Trans Discharges
The Military Law Task Force is outraged at the current military effort to rush through discharge of transgender personnel, before a federal court can act to halt involuntary transgender discharges–in the process running roughshod over these servicemembers’ legal rights.
New Resource: Military Whistleblower Protection Act
Photo: Daniel Ellsberg, who blew the whistle on the Vietnam War. (Photo: Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer, Public domain, via...
New Resource: A Sourcebook For Advocates
This Sourcebook For Advising Military Personnel comes from our peer organization, The National Institute for Military...
VIDEO: Essential NLG Role in Solidarity With Cuba workshop at the NLG Convention in Detroit, April 11, 2026
Sponsored by the NLG Cuba Subcommittee and National Network on Cuba. A guest from Cuba will update conditions on the island...
VIDEO: From Cuba to Venezuela to Palestine: International Law, the Monroe Doctrine, and 21st Century Imperialism
A workshop at the National Lawyers Guild's #Law4ThePeople convention in Detroit, MI, April 10, 2026 Co-sponsored by the...
MLTF CLE at the NLG’s Law For the People Convention – supplemental resources, etc.
All attendees are encouraged to complete this form: https://forms.gle/56cLmXHs9rG2mapFA (we will use this to track attendance)...
More than 200 Organizations and Experts Call for an End to Trump’s Threats of War Crimes and Call for Accountability
April 7, 2026 was a signal moment for those of us working for peace and justice. As our president threatened to obliterate...
MLTF Events at the NLG “Law for the People” Convention 2026
The Military Law Task Force has a very busy schedule of events happening at the NLG "Law for the people" convention in Detroit...
MLTF offers CLE on Illegal Orders, new developments in military law at 2026 NLG convention
MLTF CLE at the 2026 NLG Law for the People Convention April 8, 2026, 2-4 pm EDT Hour #1 - The Question of Illegal Orders...
MLTF Condemns Unprovoked US/Israeli Attack On Iran
The MILITARY LAW TASK FORCE of the NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD categorically condemns the unprovoked US/Israeli attack on...
Presentation on The Insurrection Act by Attorney Jeff Lake
This presentation to the Bay Area Military Law Panel was given by attorney Jeff Lake on February 23, 2026.Thanks to BAMLP for...
Upcoming People’s Academy Course: Duty to Disobey Illegal Orders & Individual Responsibility
The following announcement was sent to us by long-time MLTF member Marjorie Cohn, dean of the Monique and Roland Weyl People’s...
Soldiers Must Disobey Unlawful Orders Under Trump — It’s Their Legal Duty
Analysis by Marjorie Cohn Reprinted with permission from Truthout (Nov. 25, 2025) The courageous action of six Democratic...
Position Paper: In defense of Senator Mark Kelly and others who speak about the defense of Illegal Orders Under Military Law
The following position paper explains in more detail why the Military Law Task Force recently issued a statement in support of...
MLTF and allies object to expanded use of Selective Service registration data
The MLTF worked with peace, civil liberties, and privacy organizations to submit joint comments to the Selective Service...
Military Law Task Force condemns DOD attacks on Senator Mark Kelly
The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild (MLTF) condemns self-proclaimed “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth’s...
The Collapse of International Law in the Western Hemisphere: The US vs Venezuela
By Martha L. Schmidt, LL.M., J.D., For the Joint Anti-Militarism Working Group of the National Lawyers Guild’s Military Law...
Statement by the MLTF in opposition to the illegal US invasion of Venezuela
This is an official policy statement of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild. The Military Law Task Force...
Now available – Recorded Emergency Presentation: Illegal Orders under US Military Law
Our December 30th webinar was recorded and is now available for viewing online: https://youtu.be/Fm26YhWRdXw For further...
Last chance to give in 2025
Note from James: Members and friends of the MLTF have received this letter a few weeks ago, but I thought we would go ahead...
Emergency Webinar: Illegal Orders under US Military Law
January 2, 2026 Update: We now have a recording of the training available for viewing:...
MLTF in the media: James M. Branum on Code Pink Radio
MLTF steering committee member James M. Branum appeared this week on the Code Pink Radio show (which airs on several stations...
Radio Interview- James M. Branum on troop buildups in the Caribbean
https://soundcloud.com/user-240416425/2025-12-02-2000-grass-is This interview aired on the "Grass is Greener" show on WXRW...
The Right to refuse illegal orders – Podcast Transcript
A few months ago, MLTF member attorney James M. Branum was interviewed on the Clearing the Fog podcast, which can be heard...
Military Law Task Force and the National Lawyers Guild condemn US military threats to Venezuela and Caribbean maritime attacks
This statement can also be found at:...
FAQ on Refusing Illegal Orders
This FAQ (drafted by members of the MLTF) can also be found in printable PDF format here: Illegal Orders FAQ - 11NOV2025 DoD...
MLTF condemns US military threats to Venezuela and Caribbean maritime attacks
The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild condemns the U.S. military presence off the coast of Venezuela and...
New Resource – Flyer “Questions about your rights”
Questions About Your Rights Flyer (Full-page PDF download) Questions About Your Rights Flyer (2xHalf-page PDF download)
NLG’s Military Law Task Force issues statement on DOMESTIC MISUSE OF THE MILITARY
This statement can be downloaded in PDF Format here. September 8, 2025 The Military Law Task Force opposes the Trump...
In Honor of Ann Fagan Ginger at Age 100
by Peter Goldberger, MLTF, Ardmore PA Let us celebrate Ann Fagan Ginger on her 100th birthday, July 11, 2025! In my...
Military Law Task Force condemns US bombing of Iran
(June 23, 2025) This statement can also be viewed/printed in PDF format here The Military Law Task Force of the National...
MLTF Statement on the use of National Guard and Active Duty troops to control opposition to ICE & DHS attempts to remove undocumented workers
STATEMENT BY THE MILITARY LAW TASK FORCE OF THE NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD ON THE USE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND ACTIVE-DUTY TROOPS...
Military Law Task Force Responds to the Supreme Court Ruling on Transgender Service
On Tuesday, May 6, the Supreme Court weighed in on the issue of transgender military service. Its unsigned opinion reversed a...
CLE: How Can You Help Military Dissenters Resist the Trump Agenda?
MILITARY LAW CLE: March 20th, 5pm Presented by NLG-Bay Area Military Law Panel How Can You Help Military Dissenters Resist the...
NLG Military Law Task Force welcomes court ruling protecting transgender military servicemembers
UPDATE: May 6, 2025: The US Supreme Court in an unsigned opinion (with 3 dissents) has allowed the DOD's ban on transgender...
NEW! Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) Self-Help Guide
This memo can also be viewed as a downloadable PDF file: MEO Leaflet 01152025 (PDF download) MILITARY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SELP...
US Military Know Your Rights guide released by MLTF, About Face and CCW
Military members do have the right to engage in forms of political speech and dissent. You have options and you’re not alone....
Campaign launched to seeking pardon from Biden for Afghan & Iraq war resisters
To learn more about the campaign and to learn how to support this call for a full pardon for all US Servicemembers who are...
A Note to Supporters of Courage to Resist: The MLTF will continue to support the troops who refuse to fight
We at the MLTF have worked with Jeff Paterson and Courage to Resist (CTR) for many years--making sure that dissenting...
On-Demand Viewing: MLTF CLE at 2024 NLG National Convention
Our six sessions of continuing legal education programming at the 2024 NLG National Convention are now available for viewing...
MLTF CLE Programming at the 2024 NLG Convention + Online Viewing Options
This CLE happened in-person at the NLG National Convention on October 30, 2024 from 9 am-4 pm Central Time (with a lunch break...
VIDEO: Joint Press Conference to launch Appeal for Redress V2 for Gaza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D62O9_3CxSc This video is of today's joint press conference by Veterans for Peace, The Center...
Press Release: Appeal for Redress V2 Campaign Launched
For immediate release 6/3/24 Contacts: Veterans For Peace: Mike Ferner 314-940-2316 Military Law Task Force: Kathleen...
MLTF opposes California SB 1081 to tie draft registration to drivers’ licenses
The Military Law Force Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild has issued the following statement to the California Senate...
U.S. Congress: You Told D.O.D. to Look Into Suicides. Time to Implement
More than a year ago, the Department of Defense's Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee issued a...
Assisting Servicemembers with Military Equal Opportunity Complaints
by Kathleen Gilberd, July 2023 Part 1 - Considering and documenting complaints This is the first part of a discussion of...
Assisting Servicemembers With Military Equal Opportunity Complaints: Part 3, Retaliation
This article was first published in the Summer 2023 issue of On Watch. by Kathleen Gilberd Retaliation can be an extremely...
The Brandon Act Increases Access to Mental Health Evaluations
This article was first published in the Summer 2023 issue of On Watch. By Kathleen Gilberd In June of 2018, 21-year old...
Army Issues New Reg on Conscientious Objection
This article was first published in the Summer 2023 issue of On Watch. During World War I, the military was still figuring out...
Military DEI: More perception than reality
This article was first published in the Summer 2023 issue of On Watch. By Chris Lombardi If only the military were nearly as...
On Watch, Summer 2023
This issue can be read in its entirety in PDF form via this link, but individual articles from the issue can be found below....
The Struggle Against Racism Within the U.S. Military – A Lived Experience
This article was first published in the Summer 2023 issue of On Watch. By Jonathan W. Hutto, Sr. In the aftermath of the...
Giving Tuesday! – Support the MLTF
The MLTF (The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild) has been very busy this fall, including:1. Providing CLE...
MLTF Exec. Director Kathleen Gilberd participates in Panel discussion “GI’s for Peace and the Antiwar Movement”
https://youtu.be/OsIGNbs0uZQ?si=IYPmHr9dGIqkFFfJ For more information on this event, including some supplemental resources,...
Resources and Analysis regarding the Israel-Hamas War
The following list of resources was compiled from several sources, most notably the resources list provided by the SF Bay Area...
Recording – MLTF Annual Membership Meeting – November 13, 2023
The recording for this meeting can now viewed here: https://youtu.be/bUN_2pc6R28 In conjunction with the NLG National...
MLTF CLE: Military Resistance and the Law
Live via zoom on Monday, November 13, 2023 at 11:15 am-12:45 pm Pacific Time/2:15-3:45 pm Eastern time. On-demand (recorded)...
The Right of Dissent and Protests in the military
By David Gespass During the Vietnam War, opposition to it was rife within military ranks. Protesters against the war were...
Online CLE: Military Racism: Reality and Remedies
Live via zoom at Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern. On-demand (recorded) format available here. To...
Online CLE: Representing Veterans with “Bad Paper” Discharges in Discharge Review Cases
Now available in recorded/on-demand Format: Live via zoom at Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern. On-demand...
Support the MLTF’s 2023-2024 Fundraising Campaign
MLTF stands in defense of Military Religious Freedom Foundation against attack by House GOP
For press inquiries contact: help@nlgmltf.org or 619-463-2369 The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild is...
MILITARY LAW TASK FORCE STATEMENT: The Philadelphia 15 Gain Justice, But Still More to Do About Military Racism
For press inquiries contact: help@nlgmltf.org or 619-463-2369 The Military Law Task Force congratulates the families of the...
Zoom CLE: Moral Injury and the Military Law Practitioner
Moral Injury and the Military Law Practitioner A continuing legal education (CLE) seminar Live via zoom at Tuesday, June 20,...
Appeal for Your Support
o ensure that the MLTF can fulfill its mission of keeping a critical legal eye on the US military...
MLTF Training Series CLE #2 – Ethics
Our second session in our year-long series of continuing legal education seminars introducing military law to civilian...
Statement: Overturn of Roe v. Wade’s Effects on Women in the Military and Military Families
NLG MILITARY LAW TASK FORCE STATEMENT ith its disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the...
Statement on Military Racism (2022)
Below is our new statement on racism in the military: The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild was formed in...
Announcing first session of MLTF’s 2022 Training Series “Advocacy & Activism through Military Law”
The MLTF is launching a year-long series of monthly trainings that will serve as an introduction to military law. All...
MLTF 2022 Training Series: Advocacy & Activism through Military Law
The MLTF is launching a year-long series of monthly trainings that will serve as an introduction to military law for lawyers...
MLTF Responds to New DoD Instruction on Extremism
The MLTF has released the following statement about the DoD's Dec. 20 release of an updated instruction on extremism in the...
On Watch Fall 2021 Now Available to Public
Free public access is about 30 days after publication. Get each issue when it's published by joining MLTF or subscribing to On...
MLTF Events During 2021 NLG Virtual Convention
Visit...
Responses to Reprisals for Sexual Assault Reports
December 2019 By Sabrina Merold Sexual assault has continued to be a serious problem in the armed forces and rates of Service...
White Supremacy and Racism in the Military
By Kathleen Gilberd Memo compiled from On Watch articles and updated, September 2021 White supremacy and extremism in the...
Military Patients’ Rights
Updated September 2021 By Kathleen Gilberd Counselors and attorneys hear many accounts about denial of military medical care...
Afghanistan – Lessons Ignored or Forgotten
By David Gespass What we are now witnessing in Afghanistan is not just Biden’s fault. It certainly appears that the departure...
Lawsuit Prompts Modification of DoD Dissent Instruction Relating to National Guard
The following press release refers to a case in which MLTF member James M. Branum was one of the two attorneys representing...
Fort Hood: A Toxic Culture
By Jeff Lake Following the April 2020 murder of Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood at the hands of another soldier, the military was...
Minor Changes on Milpersman Reveal Navy Bias Against Conscientious Objectors
By Bill Galvin In December the Navy issued new conscientious objector regulations, Milpersman 1900-020. It is essentially the...
‘In-Service Transition for Transgender Servicemembers’ Policy Updated
By Jeff Lake As discussed in the last issue of On Watch, the President has issued an Executive Order which allows transgender...
New Policy Allows Military Medical Malpractice Claims
by Aaron Frishberg When Congress passed, and the president signed, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, a bill was...
New NDAA provision to allow medical malpractice claims (but not litigation)
In keeping with last year's National Defense Authorization Act, DoD has just published an interim final rule on administrative...
Free speech in the military – the case of Cpt Alan Kennedy
by James M. Branum See update. In the messaging put out by US military recruiters, one common theme is that the military...
Supreme Court refuses to weigh constitutionality of male-only draft
“Worst news in years for opponents of the draft and draft registration” Editor's Note: Due to the timely and critical nature...
Transgender Ban Update
By Jeff Lake On January 25, 2021, after years of confusion and litigation, the ban on military service by transgender...
Discharge upgrade for Vietnam vet part 2: the legal roadmap
The Story of JG: September 20, 1950 – May 20, 2020 By Deborah Karpatkin Here continues the story of JG, a Vietnam combat...
Department of Defense Survey Shows Racial Bias Permeates U.S. Military
By Aaron Frishberg In 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) conducted a “Workplace and Equal Opportunity Survey of Active Duty...
2021 National Defense Authorization Act – Personnel Provisions
By Kathleen Gilberd The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021, passed on January 1 over President Trump’s veto,...
In Memoriam: Reber Boult
By David Gespass Kelly-Ingram Park in Birmingham, across the street from the 16th Street Baptist Church and the Birmingham...
MLTF anti-racism committee
Challenging Military Racism and White Supremacy In recent months, public attention has been drawn to racism in the...
MLTF Provides Legal Resources on 2020 Election Response for Military
Responding to broad concerns about the possibility for unlawful orders regarding the 2020 election, MLTF is providing new and...
CLE Training: The Limits of the Illegal Orders Defense
MP3 Audio of Presentation Possible Alternative Protections Under Military Law during the 2020 Presidential Election and its...
Statement on Government Suspension of Diversity Training
The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild strongly condemns the actions of the President and the Office of...
Justice delayed, but not denied: discharge upgrade for Vietnam vet
Part 1: JG’s Story, September 20, 1950 – May 20, 2020 By Deborah H. Karpatkin Here is the story of JG, a Vietnam combat...
I Ain’t Marching Anymore: Dissenters, Deserters and Objectors to America’s Wars
Two-and-a-half centuries of dissension in the ranks New book chronicles the long tradition of dissent in U.S. armed forces I...
Review and update of the military transgender ban, Fall 2020
By Jeff Lake There are continuing developments in the struggle to overturn the transgender ban regarding military enlistment...
Justice For Vanessa Guillen action campaign
The organizers of #JusticeForVanessaGuillen (#JusticiaforVanessa) has just sent out an education and action packet about a...
MLTF Mourns the Loss of SPC Vanessa Guillen
The members of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild wish to express our deepest condolences to the family...