The Orders Project
The Orders Project is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, rule of law initiative. Founded in 2020, its purpose is to connect military personnel who seek legal advice with knowledgeable civilian attorneys.
Military personnel are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a federal statute that criminalizes the disobedience of lawful orders, among other offenses. If the Nation faces civil unrest deemed to require the deployment of military personnel or federalized National Guard personnel, questions may arise as to the legality of orders they receive. Given the authorized maximum punishments for disobeying orders, this is a serious matter. Military personnel should be fully informed of their rights and responsibilities before taking any action that might expose them to criminal prosecution or adverse personnel actions.
Military personnel have a right to consult counsel. They should first seek advice from a uniformed judge advocate in their branch and unit. That advice is free and will reflect the professional training provided by their Service branch. Because military personnel may be unable to timely connect with a judge advocate, they may wish to consult with a civilian attorney. This is why The Orders Project was founded.
The Orders Project does not provide legal advice. Nor is its purpose to facilitate, much less encourage, unlawful conduct. On the contrary, in a democratic society military personnel should always conduct themselves scrupulously and in accordance with the law and should recognize that disobedience by those who wear the Nation’s uniform, like civil disobedience, may lead to significant penalties and career injury. The ability to distinguish between lawful and unlawful orders is central to the conscientious performance of military duties by commanders as well as those they command.
Military personnel are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a federal statute that criminalizes the disobedience of lawful orders, among other offenses. If the Nation faces civil unrest deemed to require the deployment of military personnel or federalized National Guard personnel, questions may arise as to the legality of orders they receive. Given the authorized maximum punishments for disobeying orders, this is a serious matter. Military personnel should be fully informed of their rights and responsibilities before taking any action that might expose them to criminal prosecution or adverse personnel actions.
Military personnel have a right to consult counsel. They should first seek advice from a uniformed judge advocate in their branch and unit. That advice is free and will reflect the professional training provided by their Service branch. Because military personnel may be unable to timely connect with a judge advocate, they may wish to consult with a civilian attorney. This is why The Orders Project was founded.
The Orders Project does not provide legal advice. Nor is its purpose to facilitate, much less encourage, unlawful conduct. On the contrary, in a democratic society military personnel should always conduct themselves scrupulously and in accordance with the law and should recognize that disobedience by those who wear the Nation’s uniform, like civil disobedience, may lead to significant penalties and career injury. The ability to distinguish between lawful and unlawful orders is central to the conscientious performance of military duties by commanders as well as those they command.