# Judge Advocate General of the Navy

The judge advocate general of the Navy (JAG) is the highest-ranking uniformed lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy. The judge advocate general is the principal advisor to the secretary of the Navy and the chief of naval operations on legal matters pertaining to the Navy. The judge advocate general also performs other duties prescribed to him under 10 U.S.C. § 8088 and those prescribed under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

## Duties

The judge advocate general of the Navy, according to the United States Navy Regulations, has three principal roles: Staff Assistant in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, commanding the Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG), and is Chief of the Judge Advocate General's Corps.
The judge advocate general maintains a close working relationship with the general counsel of the Department of the Navy, the senior civilian lawyer in the Department of the Navy.
The judge advocate general:
* provides or supervises the provision of all legal advice and related services throughout the Department of the Navy, except for the advice and services provided by the general counsel;
* performs the functions required or authorized by law;
* provides legal and policy advice to the secretary of the Navy on military justice, administrative law, claims, operational and international law, and litigation involving these issues, and;
* acts on other matters as directed by the secretary of the Navy.
The principal deputy to the JAG is the deputy judge advocate general of the Navy.

## Nomination and appointment

The judge advocate general is nominated for appointment by the president with the advice and/or suggestion of the secretary of defense and the secretary of the Navy, and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. The judge advocate general is appointed to a four-year term of office but they historically serve for three. The judge advocate general has also historically been a naval officer; however, statute states that a Marine officer can be appointed to the position as long as they meet the requirements stated in the section.
Previously, the judge advocate general was appointed as a two-star rear admiral. In 2008, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 advanced the position of the judge advocate general to a statutory three-star vice admiral or lieutenant general. The statutory three-star rank was amended and struck from U.S. law in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017; however, the Navy currently still appoints the JAG to that rank.
Other than age and years of military service, there is no other statute of limitations on how many times the JAG can be renominated for appointment to that position if the president so chooses; however, the JAG normally serves one term.

## List of judge advocates general of the Navy

| No. | Name | Branch | Term began | Term ended |
| 1 | Col William Butler Remey | USMC | 1880 | 1892 |
| 2 | CAPT Samuel Conrad Lemly | USN | 1892 | 1904 |
| 3 | CAPT Samuel Willauer Black Diehl | USN | 1904 | 1907 |
| 4 | CAPT Edward Hale Campbell | USN | 1907 | 1909 |
| 5 | CAPT Robert Lee Russell | USN | 1909 | 1913 |
| 6 | CAPT Ridley McLean | USN | 1913 | 1916 |
| 7 | CAPT William Carleton Watts | USN | 1917 | 1918 |
| 8 | RADM George Ramsey Clark | USN | 1918 | 1921 |
| 9 | RADM Julian Lane Latimer | USN | 1921 | 1925 |
| 10 | RADM Edward Hale Campbell | USN | 1925 | 1929 |
| 11 | RADM David F. Sellers | USN | 1929 | 1931 |
| 12 | RADM Orin Gould Murfin | USN | 1931 | 1934 |
| 13 | RADM Claude C. Bloch | USN | 1934 | 1936 |
| 14 | RADM Gilbert Jonathan Rowcliff | USN | 1936 | 1938 |
| 15 | RADM Walter Browne Woodson | USN | 1938 | 1943 |
| 16 | RADM Thomas Leigh Gatch | USN | 1943 | 1945 |
| 17 | RADM Oswald Symister Colclough | USN | 1945 | 1948 |
| 18 | RADM George Lucius Russell | USN | 1948 | 1952 |
| 19 | RADM Ira Hudson Nunn | USN | 1952 | 1956 |
| 20 | RADM Chester Charles Ward | USN | 1956 | 1960 |
| 21 | RADM William Chamberlain Mott | USN | 1960 | 1964 |
| 22 | RADM Wilfred Asquith Hearn | USN | 1964 | 1968 |
| 23 | RADM Joseph Bryan McDevitt | USN | 1968 | 1972 |
| 24 | RADM Merlin Howard Staring | USN | 1972 | 1975 |
| 25 | RADM Horace Bascomb Robertson Jr. | USN | 1975 | 1976 |
| 26 | RADM William Owen Miller | USN | 1976 | 1978 |
| 27 | RADM Charles Eager McDowell | USN | 1978 | 1980 |
| 28 | RADM John Smith Jenkins | USN | 1980 | 1982 |
| 29 | RADM James Joseph McHugh | USN | 1982 | 1984 |
| 30 | RADM Thomas Edward Flynn | USN | 1984 | 1986 |
| 31 | RADM Hugh Don Campbell | USN | 1986 | 1988 |
| 32 | RADM Everett Don Stumbaugh | USN | 1988 | 1990 |
| 33 | RADM John Edward Gordon | USN | 1990 | 1992 |
| 34 | RADM William Leon Schachte Jr. | USN | 1992 | 1993 |
| 35 | RADM Harold Eric Grant | USN | 1993 | 1997 |
| 36 | RADM John Dudley Hutson | USN | 1997 | 2000 |
| 37 | RADM Donald J. Guter | USN | 2000 | 2002 |
| 38 | RADM Michael F. Lohr | USN | 2002 | 2004 |
| 39 | RADM James E. McPherson | USN | 2004 | 2006 |
| 40 | VADM Bruce E. MacDonald | USN | 2006 | 2009 |
| 41 | VADM James W. Houck | USN | 14 August 2009 | 20 July 2012 |
| 42 | VADM Nanette M. DeRenzi | USN | 20 July 2012 | 26 June 2015 |
| 43 | VADM James W. Crawford, III | USN | 26 June 2015 | 12 September 2018 |
| 44 | VADM John G. Hannink | USN | 12 September 2018 | 18 August 18, 2021 |
| 45 | VADM Darse E. Crandall Jr. | USN | 18 August 2021 | 5 September 2024 |
| 46 | VADM Christopher C. French | USN | 5 September 2024 | 1 January 2025 |
| Acting | RADM Lia M. Reynolds | USN | 1 January 2025 | 21 February 2025 |