MLTF CLE: Military Resistance and the Law
Channel: James M. Branum
Date: 14/11/2023

Program Description:

When US troops are ordered to carry out illegal orders, fight in unjust and immoral wars, or serve under oppressive personnel policies, many object. Dissent and resistance within the military are ongoing issues, though they seldom receive public attention. This webinar will discuss the state of military resistance, its importance and impact on the military, and the law and regulations governing refusal of illegal orders, protest activities and other forms of dissent. There will also be discussion of the practical needs that war resisters may face and the ways that the activist community can help to meet these needs.

Presenters:
Jeff Paterson was the first (but not the last) US military servicemember to refuse to fight in the Persian Gulf War (in 1990). He has served as the executive director of Courage to Resist since 2007, a grass-roots organization that supports US military war resisters, conscientious objectors and whistleblowers, including playing significant roles in the campaigns to free Chelsea Manning and Reality Winner.
 
Stephanie Atkinson is a former US Army Reservist who refused orders to deploy to Kuwait in October of 1990. After being arrested and briefly incarcerated, she was separated with an “other than honorable in lieu of courts martial” discharge. She is a staff member at Courage to Resist.

James M. Branum has practiced military law (including court-martials, administrative boards, and discharge upgrade boards) since 2006. He is a member of the steering committee of the MLTF and is a past chair. He is a graduate of Oklahoma City University of School of Law, and is the author of the book US Army AWOL: A Practice Guide and Formbook. Outside of legal work, he is an interfaith minister, peace activist, and is the editor of Humanistic Judaism magazine.

Kathleen Gilberd is a legal worker focusing in the areas of military administrative law and discharge review. She is the executive director of the Military Law Task Force and serves on the board of directors of the national GI Rights Network. She is the author (with Marjorie Cohn) of Rules of Disengagement: The Politics and Honor of Military Dissent and was also a contributing author in Clark Boardman Callahan’s Sexual Orientation and the Law. Kathleen is a frequent contributor to MLTF’s quarterly journal, On Watch, as well as an editor for the publication, writing on military sexual assault and sexual harassment
policies.