Military Attorneys

Founding Partner

Stephen “exclusively” defends active-duty members facing courts-martial, separation boards and other UCMJ related disciplinary and/or adverse actions since 2008. In 2020,  “Lawyers of Distinction” “Elite Lawyers” and “Premier Lawyers of America” recognized Stephen among the very best court-martial defense lawyers in the country. He humbly leads the nation, among all lawyers, in positive client reviews in “military law” on Avvo.com.

Educational and Military Background

• Georgetown University Law School, Washington DC, L.L.M. Candidate, September 2021
• University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon School of Law, J.D., 1995
• University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia School of Government and Foreign Affairs, B.A., 1990
• U.S. Army JAG School, Officer Basic Course, 1999
• U.S. Marine Corps, Officer Candidate School, 1993
• U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Trial Advocacy School, 2004
• Finalist for a Fulbright Fellowship Grant, Sweden, 2004

Legal Memberships

• The Judge Advocate General’s Association
• National Institute of Military Justice
• Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Criminal Law Section, Washington State Bar Association (WSBA)
• International Law Section, WSBA
• Legal Assistance for Military Personnel Section
• American Bar Association

Prior Military Service Awards

• Army Commendation Medal (2nd award)
• Army Achievement Medal, Army Overseas Ribbon
• NATO medal
• Kosovo Campaign Medal
• National Defense Service Medal (2nd award)
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Army Service Ribbon
• Former Service Related Coins (including coin from current Army Chief of Staff)

Federal and State Court Admissions

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
• Federal District Court of Oregon
• Federal District Court for the Western District of Washington
• Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
• Oregon State Bar
• Washington State Bar
• Army Court of Criminal Appeals
• Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Trial Advocacy Faculty/Lecturer Seminars

• Essential Trial Skills Lecturer, Litigation Section American Bar Association;
• Adjunct Lecturer, Trial Advocacy Program, University of Washington, School of Law
• Trial Skills Lecturer, The National Institute for Trial Advocacy
• Deposition Skills Lecturer, The National Institute for Trial Advocacy
• Mock Trial Mentor, Seattle Academy, H.S. Mock Trial Team
• Defending Murder Cases, USATDS
• The Use of Impeachment in Sexual Assault Cases, USTDS
• Polygraph Examinations from a Defense Perspective, USATDS

Former Founding Partner

David Court (“Mr. Court”) is a truly renowned military justice expert who regularly consults with our associated counsel. While he is no longer practicing law, Mr. Court remains steadfastly interested in military justice issues, and often draws upon his vast wealth of experience, accumulated by over four decades of courts-martial litigation, to directly empower our novel defense strategies.

He has successfully defended myriad servicemembers (from E-1 to O-6) throughout Europe, the Balkans, and the Middle East, through the end of the Cold War, Gulf One and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His cases have been reported on by 60 Minutes (“An Honest Mistake”), CNN (“The Canal Killings”), and myriad times by Stars and Stripes, which memorably profiled of him in 2007 entitled “Court for the Defense.”

Since his retirement, military Justice practitioners have informally sought his advice and opinion on their cases. Most recently, in December 2019, Mr. Court was asked to teach at the Annual U.S. Army Trial Defense Service (TDS) Conference.

Mr. Court has not been shy to publicity if the cause was just. He previously testified before the U.S. Congress on military justice issues, and even lectured, upon invitation, at The Military Judge’s Conference in Alabama.

Mr. Court lives in Frankfurt, Germany.