Summer issue of The Reporter published

The Summer 2007 edition of the Air Force's Reporter is now available online.

The issue includes many items of interest to military justice practitioners. Page 16 offers court reporters' trial advocacy tips. On page 27, an article by Captain John W. Bellflower applies warfighting principles to litigation. Page 32 provides "Military Justice Pointers," including a discussion of one fascinating case in which the Air Force Court provided relief due to authentication of an ROT containing an important error. (Here's a link to that unpublished opinion itself. United States v. Polinard, No. ACM 35806 (f rev) (A.F. Ct. Crim. App. July 31, 2006).)

There is also an article of general interest to military lawyers concerning Article 6 and subsequent legislation to emphasize the Judge Advocate General of the Air Force's role as the legal adviser to the Secretary of the Air Force and as head of the Air Force JAG Corps. Major John C. Johnson, The Air Force Advocate: An Independent Legal Advisor, Reporter, Summer 2007, at 18.

I also found particularly interesting two "Ask the Expert" notes. One, on page 6, discusses the Secretary of the Air Force's "Revised Interim Guidelines Concerning Free Exercise of Religion in the Air Force" and subsequent congressional action concerning those interim guidelines. The other, on page 7, discusses the current state of the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program and provides this link to Air Force guidance on the subject: https://www.a3a5.hq.af.mil/a3s/a3sc/CCBRN_resource/biological/anthrax/index.asp. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that the link is operative from a civilian computer--a recurring problem when attempting to access Air Force regulations, including some (like the Air Force's rules of professional conduct) to which civilian counsel will often require access.