If a C-130 can land where you are, Mr. Tolin can represent you for UCMJ actions. By the nature of the practice, military law clients can be assisted anywhere. Anytime.
Veritas Military Law is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas (Military City, U.S.A.).
Joshua Tolin is admitted to practice in Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming.
As such, Mr. Tolin is permitted to practice in courts-martial and administrative boards for the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force worldwide.
The Truth About UCMJ Trial Attorneys and Their Locations
While it’s true your trial attorney can be licensed in any state (or other U.S. jurisdiction) to defend you in UCMJ actions (and you don’t need a lawyer from down the street to effectively represent you), you should consider a few things when choosing your attorney:
- Where is your attorney licensed? If your UCMJ action also involves actions off-base, your UCMJ lawyer cannot represent you in the off-base issue unless that person is licensed in your state/jurisdiction. For example, if you are a military member who gets arrested for a DUI in downtown Colorado Springs, you might want to hire a UCMJ lawyer who is licensed in Colorado, like Joshua Tolin. Mr. Tolin is also licensed in Texas and Wyoming, whereas many UCMJ attorneys are only licensed in one state.
If you cannot easily tell where your potential lawyer is licensed, be careful.
But former JAGs aren’t going to break ethical rules, right?
Well, you would hope so, but the military has seen some sad stories. The Air Force, for example, had a top JAG practicing without a law license for more than 20 years–he even was the commander of the Air Force Legal Operations Agency, commanding JAGs stationed all over the world. His career ended following a general court-martial conviction. - Where is your attorney’s office? Related to the question of where your attorney is actually licensed to practice is where the law office is.
Why does an office matter if we’re not in the same place?
Great question. It’s about legitimacy and trustworthiness. If someone needs to send something to your attorney, where do they do that? If you can’t figure out their office address in less than 30 seconds, chances are, that attorney is less transparent than the customer support call centers we often struggle with.
Some UCMJ attorneys also advertise multiple offices outside multiple major installations.
But isn’t that good?
Well, once again, it’s about legitimacy and trustworthiness. Most state bars (the licensing boards allowing lawyers to practice inside their borders) prohibit anyone not licensed in their state from having an office in that state. So if your UCMJ lawyer is only licensed in Vermont, but advertises offices across the country, something is amiss. Be careful.
To be clear, UCMJ lawyers are not required to be licensed in your state to help you or even to defend you in a court-martial, but they are required to be licensed in your state if they have an office there.
States all have different rules that exist to protect clients in their state. For example, in Texas, lawyers are prohibited from advertising non-provable claims, like they are the “best” defense attorneys, or advertising amazing acquittal rates without providing the proof. Texas also requires lawyers to include their primary office location on advertisements, specifically so potential clients understand the truth of who’s selling those legal services.
What About My Confidentiality?
One of the most sacred parts of an attorney-client relationship is confidentiality. If the lawyer’s “office” is really a co-working location with non-lawyer companies, then chances are the “staff” collecting the mail, answering the phone, leading clients to the lawyer’s office, and overhearing any conversations have no idea about attorney-client confidentiality requirements, like the staff at a real law office. Again, be careful. - Where is your attorney’s fee really going? Did you click on a compelling advertisement for one lawyer or law firm, and someone else is handling your case? Sometimes, that happens because the advertising lawyer cannot take on new clients right now, or maybe is not taking on your kind of case right now.
Other times, the advertising lawyer is collecting a referral fee. Referral fees can be legitimate, but many state bars have rules requiring clear notice of the referral fee in the advertisement or require the second lawyer to be “of counsel” with the advertising lawyer’s law firm. You’re not the expert in legal ethics; just ask the question. How they answer should be enough for you to decide who you really want to trust with your freedom.