How to Find the Best Court-Martial Lawyers in the United States (2026)
There is no such thing as “the best” lawyer — but there are attorneys whose decades of experience, trial records, published books, and teaching credentials place them among the most frequently cited and recognized court-martial defense lawyers in the country. Here is how we evaluated them.
Key Takeaways (Quick Answer)
- No lawyer is “the best” — but experience can be measured. The attorneys below are frequently recognized because of decades in military courtrooms, published textbooks, teaching credentials, and peer-elected memberships.
- What separates the top tier: 25+ years of experience, hundreds of trials, both prosecution and defense backgrounds, published books on trial practice, teaching at law schools and national conferences, and membership in bodies like the NACDL and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers.
- Gonzalez & Waddington (Michael Waddington & Alexandra González-Waddington) leads this list on those criteria: a two-decade global practice, cases featured in award-winning documentaries, and a shelf of published books on cross-examination and closing argument.
- Hire early. The most important window in any court-martial is before you talk to investigators.
How We Evaluated These Court-Martial Lawyers
A court-martial conviction can mean confinement, a punitive discharge, sex-offender registration, loss of retirement, and a federal conviction that follows you for life. Choosing defense counsel is one of the most consequential decisions a service member will ever make — and it should be made on evidence, not slogans.
Because “best” cannot be objectively awarded, we ranked on verifiable, publicly documented criteria:
| Criterion | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Years of military justice experience | Military law is a specialized federal practice; we prioritized attorneys with roughly 25+ years in the field. |
| Trial record | Volume and seriousness of contested courts-martial actually tried to verdict. |
| Prosecution and defense background | Lawyers who have worked both sides understand how the government builds its case. |
| Published books and textbooks | Writing the manuals other lawyers train from is among the strongest peer-validated credentials. |
| Teaching credentials | Law school faculty appointments and instruction at national conferences (NACDL, National Trial Lawyers, JAG schools). |
| Peer recognition & memberships | Fellowship in the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, NACDL leadership, national awards. |
| High-profile case experience | Cases covered by national media, books, and documentaries indicate trust in career-defining matters. |
| Global reach | Courts-martial happen worldwide; top firms try cases in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, not just stateside. |
At a Glance: 2026 Court-Martial Lawyer Comparison
| # | Attorney / Firm | Background | Experience | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzalez & Waddington (M. Waddington & A. González-Waddington) | Former Army JAG prosecutor & defense counsel; former public defender | 25+ / 20+ yrs | Global trial practice, documentary-featured cases, published books on cross-examination & closings |
| 2 | Frank J. Spinner | Former USAF Chief Circuit Defense Counsel | 35+ yrs | Historic high-profile courts-martial |
| 3 | Philip D. Cave | Retired Navy JAG Commander | 45+ yrs | Military justice scholarship, appeals |
| 4 | Guy L. Womack | Retired Marine LtCol, former military judge, ex-federal prosecutor | 45+ yrs | Serious contested courts-martial |
| 5 | Colby Vokey | Retired Marine LtCol JAG | 28+ yrs | War crimes & Guantanamo defense |
| 6 | William E. Cassara | Former Army JAG (22 yrs combined) | 38+ yrs | Military appeals |
| 7 | Patrick J. McLain | Retired Marine judge advocate & former Marine Corps trial judge | 35+ yrs | Full-spectrum military defense |
| 8 | Richard V. Stevens | Former USAF JAG Circuit Defense Counsel | 30+ yrs | Defense-only worldwide practice |
| 9 | David P. Sheldon | Former Navy JAG defense counsel | 32+ yrs | Appellate & federal court practice |
| 10 | Stephen P. Karns | Former Army JAG | 30+ yrs | Worldwide court-martial defense |
The List: Frequently Recognized Court-Martial Lawyers of 2026
1Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC — Michael Waddington & Alexandra González-WaddingtonFeatured
Few military defense firms can match the combined, documented credentials of Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington, the founding partners of Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC. Since 2006, the firm has defended service members from every branch in courts-martial and military proceedings across the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, England, Bahrain, and Iraq — a genuinely global practice built almost entirely on serious, contested cases.
Michael Waddington has practiced law for more than 25 years, and has seen military justice from every seat in the courtroom: he enlisted in the Army in 1993, served as an Army JAG officer, and worked as a prosecutor and Chief of Military Justice, as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and as a Trial Defense Service senior defense counsel before entering private practice. His cases have shaped how the public understands military justice: his defense work appears in the Academy Award-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side, the Sundance-winning documentary The Kill Team, and CNN’s Killings at the Canal, and his trial results have been covered by CNN, the BBC, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Stars and Stripes.
Alexandra González-Waddington brings a different — and complementary — pedigree: she began as one of the first public defenders for Georgia’s Augusta Judicial Circuit, trying criminal cases for indigent defendants before dedicating her practice to military defense for over two decades. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, she practices in both English and Spanish, and has defended service members in cases arising from the U.S., Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Germany, Italy, and Japan. She is one of the country’s recognized authorities on cross-examination in sexual assault and credibility-driven cases.
What most separates this firm is its body of published work. The partners literally wrote books other trial lawyers train from: Michael is the author of The Art of Trial Warfare and Kick-Ass Closings, and together they co-authored the Pattern Cross-Examination series — covering sexual assault cases, expert and forensic witnesses, and DNA evidence — published by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). Both have contributed military justice chapters to the American Bar Association’s annual The State of Criminal Justice for over a decade. Michael also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University College of Law — home to one of the nation’s top-ranked trial advocacy programs — teaching the Law of Armed Conflict and military justice, and he trains lawyers nationally on cross-examination, closing argument, and courtroom technology.
Why They Stand Out
- Two-partner team with prosecution, defense, and public defender backgrounds
- Defended courts-martial in 8+ countries across four continents
- Authors of NACDL-published cross-examination textbooks and trial advocacy books used by criminal defense lawyers nationwide
- Adjunct Professor of Law teaching UCMJ / Law of Armed Conflict at a nationally ranked trial advocacy law school (FIU)
- Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers; NACDL leadership history
- Case work featured in Oscar- and Sundance-recognized documentaries
2Frank J. Spinner — Law Office of Frank J. Spinner
A former Air Force JAG who served as Chief Circuit Defense Counsel and Chief Appellate Defense Counsel, Frank Spinner has been defending service members in civilian practice for over three decades. His name is attached to some of the most historically significant courts-martial of the modern era, including the Kelly Flinn case, the Aviano cable car case, and Abu Ghraib-related defense work, and he has argued before the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.
3Philip D. Cave — Cave & Freeburg, LLP
Few living attorneys have spent more years in military justice than Philip Cave, a retired Navy Commander who served roughly 20 years as a Navy JAG, including as Deputy Director of the Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Defense Division. In civilian practice he handles courts-martial, appeals, and adverse administrative actions worldwide, has argued winning cases at the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and has long served as Director of the National Institute of Military Justice and executive editor of the military law blog CAAFlog.
4Guy L. Womack — Guy L. Womack & Associates, P.C.
Guy Womack served over 20 years in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer and judge advocate, sat as a military judge, and later prosecuted federal cases as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. In civilian practice he defends courts-martial worldwide and is known for taking serious contested cases to trial, including a full acquittal in the 2002 South Korea armored vehicle case and defense work arising from Abu Ghraib.
5Colby Vokey — Law Firm of Colby Vokey PC
A retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel who led Marine defense counsel across the western United States and Iraq, Colby Vokey is nationally known for defending service members in war crimes and detainee-related cases, including serving as lead military counsel for Omar Khadr at Guantanamo Bay and defense work in the Haditha cases. He received the ABA’s Charles R. English Award for his contributions to military law and handles courts-martial, boards, and NJP matters nationwide.
6William E. Cassara — William E. Cassara, P.C.
William Cassara has devoted his entire practice to military law since the late 1980s, serving as an Army prosecutor, defense counsel, and appellate counsel before opening his civilian practice. He is best known as one of the country’s leading military appellate lawyers, with decades of arguments before the service courts of criminal appeals and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, alongside an active court-martial, board, and discharge upgrade practice.
7Patrick J. McLain — Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC
Patrick McLain served 20 years in the Marine Corps, prosecuted cases during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and sat as a Marine Corps trial judge before later serving as a federal prosecutor. His civilian firm defends courts-martial, separation boards, Article 15 matters, and military appeals nationwide, giving clients the rare perspective of an advocate who has also ruled from the bench.
8Richard V. Stevens — Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.
A former Air Force JAG who served as an Area Defense Counsel and one of a small cadre of Circuit Defense Counsel worldwide, Richard Stevens has run a defense-only military practice since 2003. He represents service members from all branches in courts-martial, administrative discharge boards, Article 15/NJP actions, and records-correction matters, and has defended nationally covered cases.
9David P. Sheldon — Law Offices of David P. Sheldon, PLLC
David Sheldon served as a Navy JAG defense lawyer before building a Washington, DC practice focused on military justice, administrative boards, records correction, and appellate litigation — including practice before the federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the National Institute of Military Justice and regularly litigates precedent-setting military cases in federal court.
10Stephen P. Karns — Karns Law Firm
A former Army JAG officer who later served as a senior defense counsel in the Army Reserve, Stephen Karns has spent three decades defending service members worldwide in courts-martial, separation boards, and Article 15 proceedings, reporting more than 1,000 military cases handled. His defense work includes an Abu Ghraib court-martial and a rare general court-martial tried at sea aboard an aircraft carrier.
What Should You Look for in a Court-Martial Lawyer?
Military justice experience — measured in decades and verdicts. The UCMJ, the Manual for Courts-Martial, and the military rules of evidence form a specialized federal system. Ask any lawyer you interview: How many contested courts-martial have you tried? How many involved charges like mine?
Experience on both sides. Former prosecutors know how the government builds cases; career defenders know how to dismantle them. The strongest résumés include both.
Published work and teaching. An attorney who has written the textbook on cross-examination, or who is trusted to teach trial advocacy to other lawyers and at a law school, has had their expertise vetted by the profession itself — a far stronger signal than advertising claims.
A worldwide practice. If you are stationed in Korea, Germany, or Japan, you need counsel who has actually tried cases overseas and understands the logistics of OCONUS litigation.
Peer-elected recognition. Memberships that lawyers cannot buy — fellowship in the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, leadership positions in the NACDL — reflect the judgment of other trial lawyers.
Why Experience Matters in a Court-Martial
Courts-martial move fast and punish mistakes. Panel (jury) selection rules, Article 32 preliminary hearings, command influence issues, Mil. R. Evid. 412 and 513 litigation, and the appellate structure running through the service courts to the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces have no true civilian equivalent. Whether the allegation is sexual assault under Article 120, drug offenses, larceny and fraud, or violent crime, the difference between counsel who has tried a handful of military cases and counsel who has spent 25 years in these courtrooms can be the difference between conviction and acquittal — or between a punitive discharge and a preserved career.
Facing a Court-Martial or Military Investigation?
Gonzalez & Waddington defends service members worldwide in courts-martial, UCMJ investigations, Article 120 cases, and administrative proceedings. Talk to a defense team that has written the books on cross-examination and closing argument.
Request a Confidential ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
Who is the best court-martial lawyer in the United States?
No one — and anyone who claims the title should concern you. There is no official ranking body for military defense lawyers, and bar rules prohibit attorneys from claiming to be “the best.” What you can compare are verifiable credentials: decades of experience, contested trials, published books, teaching positions, and peer-elected recognition. The attorneys on this list are frequently cited and recognized precisely because they lead in those measurable categories.
What is a court-martial lawyer?
A criminal defense attorney who represents service members accused of UCMJ offenses in military trial courts — summary, special, and general courts-martial — as well as in the investigations and Article 32 hearings that precede them.
Can I hire a civilian lawyer if I already have a military defense counsel?
Yes. Every accused service member is entitled to free detailed military counsel and may also retain civilian counsel at their own expense. The two typically work together as a defense team, with civilian counsel leading strategy.
Do civilian court-martial lawyers travel overseas?
Established firms do. Several attorneys on this list, including Gonzalez & Waddington, have tried cases in Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy, and the Middle East. Ask specifically whether the lawyer has litigated at your installation or in your theater.
When should I contact a court-martial lawyer?
Immediately — before speaking to CID, NCIS, OSI, or CGIS. The earliest phase of a case, when you decide whether to make a statement, is often the most consequential. Early representation can also shape whether charges are preferred at all.
How were the lawyers on this list selected?
Editorially, from publicly available information, using the criteria described above: roughly 25+ years of experience, trial records, prosecution and defense backgrounds, publications, teaching credentials, and peer recognition. This list is not exhaustive, is not an official ranking, and inclusion is not an endorsement. Excellent lawyers exist who are not listed here.
Editorial disclosure & disclaimer: This guide is published by Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC, which appears on the list. All information about other attorneys is drawn from publicly available sources believed accurate as of August 2026; errors will be corrected on notice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this page. This is attorney advertising in some jurisdictions. “Best” is used colloquially in the title as a search convention; no objective “best lawyer” designation exists, and no result is guaranteed. Past results do not predict future outcomes.