(Pictured L to R: M-VETS Director Timothy MacArthur, Student Advisors Sarah Khalife, Dan Krupa, and Jacoby Warner).
The Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (“M-VETS”) visited the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (“CAAF”) in Washington, D.C. on 5 November 2025. Malcolm Squires, Jr., the Clerk of the Court, gave M-VETS student advisors and staff a tour as well as a detailed history of the Court and military justice. Additionally, M-VETS was honored to meet Judge Gregory Maggs and engage in a roundtable discussion with him about the duties and responsibilities of his position, his professional background, and offer practice tips for the future attorneys in attendance.
The CAAF, located in Judiciary Square, was previously the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. However, as the Court’s case load grew, it became necessary to physically relocate the Court. The CAAF took its place in the historic building where it reviews decisions from the Courts of Criminal Appeals from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. However, the CAAF only came into existence after World War II, and previously, there was no judicial review process for court-martial convictions. The need for a review process became clear during World War II, when over one million service members were court-martialed. At that time, the process did not even require the service member to be represented by a lawyer. This meant the service members were sometimes court-martialed and even potentially facing capital punishment without the representation of an attorney. Subsequently, following World War II, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (“UCMJ”) was developed, which led to the creation of the CAAF, now the highest military Court in the United States.
“We are very grateful to the CAAF staff Judge Maggs for hosting M-VETS,” M-VETS Director Timothy MacArthur said. “In particular, Mr. Squires’s hospitality and extensive knowledge of the history of the Court made for a fun and engaging afternoon, and the conversation with Judge Maggs and the practical advice he was able to provide to the students in the clinic was invaluable.”
Student Advisor Jacoby Warner commented on the visit: “Our visit to CAAF was incredibly informative about the foundations of military justice and its evolution since World War II. Hearing Judge Maggs discuss his role and offer advice to us aspiring attorneys was a strong reminder that military justice is not just about statutes or procedures, but it is about ensuring that every service member is treated with dignity and fairness.”
M-VETS enables students to assist active-duty members of the armed forces, their families, and veterans in a wide variety of administrative, litigation, and non-litigation matters, including medical and physical evaluation boards, appeals of denials of Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation and educational claims, representation before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals and Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, applications for discharge upgrades or military records correction before the Boards for Correction of Military Records and Discharge Review Boards.