1. (a) An officer of the Marine Corps who is a judge advocate and a member of the bar of a Federal court or the highest court of a State or territory and who has had at least eight years of experience in legal duties as a commissioned officer may be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, as Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. If the officer to be appointed as the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps holds a grade lower than the grade of major general immediately before the appointment, the officer shall be appointed in the grade of major general.
2. (b) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy, in selecting an officer for recommendation to the President for appointment as the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, shall ensure that the officer selected is recommended by a board of officers that, insofar as practicable, is subject to the procedures applicable to selection boards convened under chapter 36 of this title.

3. (c) The Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, under the direction of the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Secretary of the Navy, shall—

   1. (1) perform such duties relating to legal matters arising in the Marine Corps as may be assigned to the Staff Judge Advocate;
   2. (2) perform the functions and duties, and exercise the powers, prescribed for the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps in chapter 47 (the Uniform Code of Military Justice) and chapter 53 of this title; and
   3. (3) perform such other duties as may be assigned to the Staff Judge Advocate.

4. (d) No officer or employee of the Department of Defense may interfere with—

   1. (1) the ability of the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps to give independent legal advice to the Commandant of the Marine Corps; or
   2. (2) the ability of judge advocates of the Marine Corps assigned or attached to, or performing duty with, military units to give independent legal advice to commanders.

(Added Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title V, § 509(a)(1), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3868; amended Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title V, § 504(b)(4), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2751; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 574(b)(2), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1922; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, § 504(a), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4434; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title V, § 531(a), (b), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1725, 1726.)

Amendments 2013—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–239, § 531(a), substituted “appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,” for “detailed” and “If the officer to be appointed as the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps holds a grade lower than the grade of major general immediately before the appointment, the officer shall be appointed in the grade of major general.” for “The Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, while so serving, has the grade of major general.”

Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 112–239, § 531(b), added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d).

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “The Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, while so serving, has the grade of major general.” for “If an officer appointed as the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps holds a lower regular grade, the officer shall be appointed in the regular grade of brigadier general.”

2004—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 108–375 added subsec. (c).

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–337, § 504(b)(4)(A), added second sentence and struck out former second sentence which read as follows: “While so serving, a judge advocate who holds a grade lower than brigadier general shall hold the grade of brigadier general if appointed to that grade by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–337, § 504(b)(4)(B), added subsec. (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “An officer retiring from the position of Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, after serving at least three years in that position, shall be retired in the highest grade in which that officer served on active duty satisfactorily, as determined by the Secretary of the Navy.”

Effective Date Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title V, § 509(b), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3868, provided that:

“

Section 5046 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply only with respect to appointments as Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [

Nov. 14, 1986].”

Transition Provision for Retirement of Staff Judge Advocates Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title V, § 509(d), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3868, provided that:

“Notwithstanding

section 1370(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code, an officer serving in the position of Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, or an equivalent position, on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [

Nov. 14, 1986], if retired after having served in such position (or equivalent position) at least three years, including any service in such position (or its equivalent) before such date, shall be retired in the highest grade in which the officer served on active duty satisfactorily, as determined by the Secretary of the Navy.”