Naval Station Great Lakes sits on the western shore of Lake Michigan, about halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. It is the Navy’s only basic training command and one of the largest military installations in the Midwest. Every enlisted sailor passes through here on the way to the Fleet. Surrounding the Recruit Training Command are schools, administrative commands, and a permanent party population large enough to form a small city.
The base covers more than 1,600 acres of shoreline and woodlands. In the early morning, the sound of cadence calls carries across the lake. At night, the wind moves in from the water and pushes fog through the parade fields. The architecture is a mix of red-brick century-old buildings and modern training facilities. It is a self-contained community, complete with housing, schools, and its own police and fire services.
Although recruits dominate the base in number, they are not the source of most legal work. Trainees are under constant supervision and have limited freedom of movement, so serious disciplinary incidents are rare. The real population for UCMJ practice is the large corps of instructors, staff, and support personnel who keep the training pipeline running. These Sailors live off base or in nearby communities such as Waukegan, Gurnee, and North Chicago. The city line that borders the installation marks a sharp change in environment. North Chicago has struggled for decades with poverty and crime, and it remains a frequent setting for off-base trouble involving alcohol, fights, and drugs.
Great Lakes also supports tenant commands with broader missions, including training detachments, medical units, and logistics elements tied to other parts of the Fleet. Legal issues that begin here can connect to commands across the country or overseas. Because our firm is based nearby, we can meet clients in person and coordinate with appointed military counsel on base with minimal delay.
The base’s proximity to Chicago makes it one of the Navy’s most visible assignments. The metropolitan area is large enough to support every aspect of military operations, yet Great Lakes remains its own community with a distinct command culture. The admiral’s presence is constant, and because this is the Navy’s primary training installation, misconduct by permanent-party personnel is often treated more seriously than it might be elsewhere.
An Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) is located at Naval Station Great Lakes. The OSTC serves as the Navy’s independent prosecution authority for major criminal cases under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It reports directly to the Secretary of the Navy and operates outside the command structure of local units. Its attorneys, known as Special Trial Counsel, are highly trained judge advocates with the exclusive authority to determine whether serious allegations proceed to court-martial.
The OSTC’s reach covers a defined group of “covered offenses,” including Articles 117a, 118, 119, 119a, 120, 120a, 120b, 120c, 125, 128b, 130, 132, and 134 of the UCMJ. These provisions address violent and sexual crimes such as murder, manslaughter, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and the unlawful sharing of intimate images. The office at Great Lakes oversees investigations and prosecutions arising across Navy training commands and other tenant activities in the Midwest. Its presence means that serious cases are now handled by specialized prosecutors who function independently from the traditional command decision process.
Hiring From Chicago
Geography alone is not the best reason to hire a lawyer. Skill, experience, and professional fit matter far more. But it just so happens that one of the nation’s leading UCMJ defense firms is based close by, in Chicago. Our attorneys have represented Sailors and Coast Guard members at Great Lakes for nearly two decades.
One of us grew up in this area, attended grade school, high school, college, and law school here, and has raised a family nearby. We understand the local environment not only as attorneys but as lifelong residents. Since beginning civilian practice in 2006, we have handled a steady flow of Great Lakes cases, ranging from drug allegations and hazing incidents to sexual-assault, CSAM, and other computer-related investigations. During the COVID period, when most civilian courts were closed and many lawyers were still appearing by phone, we continued to appear in person at Great Lakes and elsewhere.
With a dedicated Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) now operating on base, the most serious cases are managed and prosecuted from within the installation itself. The OSTC brings a level of specialization that changes how cases are charged and tried. When the prosecution’s resources increase, you need a defense team with the skill to beat them anyway.
Our firm focuses on that kind of work: the complex, high-level UCMJ cases handled by the OSTC. We have been doing it since long before the OSTC concept came into being and continue to defend service members across the country and overseas. The proximity of our Chicago office to Great Lakes makes it easy for us to appear in person when needed, while still providing national-level representation. For service members stationed here, that combination of local presence and national trial experience offers the best of both worlds: direct access, proven skill, and a defense team that knows Great Lakes as well as it knows the courtroom.
Q: How do I get out in front of a DV allegation?
A: Act like every word and gesture is being recorded. It pays to be tactically paranoid.
- Stay silent. When NCIS or a command representative says they “just want your side,” decline politely but firmly: “I’m not making a statement. I want a lawyer.”
- Don’t consent to searches. Without a search authority granted by a magistrate, your phone, home, and car are off-limits. Even if they have authority to seize your devices, never share your passcode.
- Avoid Family Advocacy interviews. They present themselves as supportive, but their job is documentation, not therapy. Statements made to them are available to investigators and prosecutors.
- Obey every term of the protective order. One message, one brief encounter, and the case can double in scope.
- Call counsel right away. Silence only works until your attorney takes over communication. At that point, you can stay silent and your lawyer can intervene.
Q: Why does OSTC do domestic-violence cases?
A: Because Congress elevated them to the highest tier of severity. Politically, the approach to domestic violence is a cousin of Article 120.
Q: I’m in a divorce and custody dispute. That’s what this is all about.
A: That’s one of the most common sources. Commands and FAP offices see a steady flow of complaints rooted in family-court strategy. A proper defense digs into motive: who gains if you look violent, and who gains if you’re convicted? In many cases, the answer is obvious. The defense goal is to show both the command (which issues the MPO) and OSTC (which prosecutes) that the claim is leverage disguised as protection.
Q: Why do I need to spend money on a lawyer when this case is obvious BS?
A: Because domestic-violence prosecutions are run by OSTC, the Navy’s specialized trial counsel. Their mandate is to raise conviction rates. You need someone who has gone head-to-head with them for years, understands how they think, and knows how to build the kind of credibility that persuades them to drop or scale back a weak case, if for no other reason than to save their success rate from a loss. You don’t want to assume everyone on the side of people accusing you will wake up one day and suddenly see the case is bullshit.
Spike of Article 120 Cases at GLNS
An uptick in Article 120 cases at Great Lakes has made it one of the Navy’s most active court-martial venues for sexual-assault allegations. What follows is a concise orientation for anyone facing that reality, a practical guide drawn from the experience of those who defend these cases every day.
I. How Memory Fails and Stories “Evolve”
Memory is not stored like data; it’s rebuilt from fragments of emotion, suggestion, and rehearsal. Each retelling changes the story.
Alcohol warps perception even further, while confabulation fills in gaps with believable fiction that makes the accuser increasingly confident in their story.
Blackouts erase memory, not awareness. A memory that was never recorded in the first place can’t be recalled later, let alone months or years later. Some blackouts are fragmentary, like a camera going off and on, and those fragments that do survive are stitched together later, with help from imagination. They’re not real memories.
A confident witness can still be mistaken. Sincerity is not the same as truth. The panel’s task is to separate emotion from evidence, and the defense must help them do it.
II. The Filters That Shape Every Case
Bias is built into the recall process. Confirmation bias makes investigators, prosecutors, and witnesses see what fits their expectations. Hindsight bias turns ordinary behavior into “warning signs.” The question “Why would someone lie?” always has answers: influence, anger, self-preservation, social reward. In military life, accusations often take on a life of their own once commands, friends, and victim advocates reinforce a single version of events.
III. Professionalism Wins Trials
A court-martial is not theater. Jurors and judges respond to professionalism, not theatrics. Effective cross-examination is patient and deliberate. The goal is clarity, not combat.
Conversational questioning allows a witness to help the defense or contradict themselves without realizing it. Sometimes silence does the work better than words. An attorney whose only mode is trying to lock the witness down with yes/no answers is more likely to get in the way than clear the path to truth.
Professionalism doesn’t end the moment someone lies on the stand. That’s the moment when it matters most. When a witness commits to a false story, the skilled attorney doesn’t lunge. He guides. The key is to shift seamlessly between polite control and conversational invitation, letting the witness talk themselves into a corner, one small elaboration at a time. Few cross-examiners can do it well, but that’s where cases are won: in the deliberate dismantling of a lie through conversation.
A composed defense builds credibility, which in turn protects the accused. The courtroom belongs to whoever looks like they’re in command, and that’s rarely an attorney who tries to dominate.
IV. Alcohol and Fragmented Recall
Drinking cases populate most Article 120 dockets. Gaps in memory are often the center of the dispute. A blackout case gives the defense room to work, because memory blanks mean uncertainty (see above) and uncertainty is the foundation of reasonable doubt. The real work lies in testing the fragments that remain for logic, internal consistency, and corroboration.
V. Consent, Reason, and Honest Error
The law of mistake of fact protects honest misunderstandings. The belief must be both genuine and reasonable. Under the law, “reasonable” means sober judgment, not drunk assumption. An accused’s own drunkenness isn’t a helpful fact.
When it comes to sex of any kind, consent must exist every time, even between longtime spouses.
Continuing sexual activity after any signs of intoxication, like vomit, is a bad idea and always a damning fact in a court-martial, no matter what words are spoken in the moment (like, “I’m fine … I actually feel better now”).
In a case alleging sexual activity with a minor, beliefs about age must rest on facts, not guesses. The law shields honesty, not convenience. If the accuser made comments about being home in time for curfew, or getting her license, those are bad facts.
VI. Working With OSTC and Command
In Great Lakes, serious cases fall under the OSTC. That office handles “covered offenses” and operates independently of the chain of command. Early, professional communication with OSTC can significantly influence a case’s trajectory. Submitting exculpatory information before referral can stop a weak case before it reaches trial. OSTC prosecutors want a high batting average. Winning four out five courts is better in their world than winning seven out of ten.
VII. Mind Your SA at All Times
All eyes and ears are on the defense. Always. Even outside the courtroom. So in the parking lot, at the commissary, or anywhere off-base, an accused needs to be on model behavior.
Why Service Members at Great Lakes Choose Our Firm
- Direct Access: You deal directly with the attorneys who will defend you. No intake clerks, chatbots, or scripted operators. Calls and texts go straight to our phones.
- Control from the Start: Most callers reach us during a crisis. Our first job is to steady the situation, outline the next step, and keep investigators or command from getting any further advantage.
- Open Communication: We never bill for conversations. Questions, updates, and advice are part of the representation, not an extra charge. Clients should never have to weigh the cost of reaching their lawyer.
- Flat-Fee Certainty: Each stage of representation has a defined price from the beginning. No hourly tracking, no hidden add-ons, no surprise invoices.
- Confidential Handling: Case materials (medical records, statements, and strategy) are handled only by the attorneys responsible for the case. Nothing is passed through intermediaries.
- Always Reachable: Military cases don’t follow business hours. When something breaks after duty hours or on a weekend, we respond.
- Respect Without Performance: We deal with clients as adults and professionals. No sales tactics, no fear-based persuasion.
Q: On your site, you talk about an “initial fee.” Why don’t you call it a “retainer”?
Because that word creates the wrong picture. Most people hear “retainer” and assume it means full coverage. In reality, it’s just a deposit. The lawyer bills against it by the hour until it’s gone, then asks for more. That cycle repeats, often at the worst moment in the case, when stress is highest and money is tight.
We use clearer terms, like initial fee or investigative fee, because they describe what the payment actually does. It covers the entire opening stage of representation from start to finish: every internal meeting, every contact with command, investigators, and government counsel, including OSTC, every call with witnesses or family, and every hour of research or analysis. There are no meters running in the background.
If the government releases an investigation report, we review and break down the entire file as part of that same fee. Some cases resolve early, before formal charges, through administrative actions like letters of reprimand, counseling, or nonjudicial punishment. When that happens, the written responses and advocacy are included too. The initial fee is not a down-payment for services that can be withdrawn, which is what a retainer really is.
How Lawyers Turn Fear Into Profit
The legal marketing world isn’t shy about its tactics. These excerpts aren’t parody. The passages below come straight from one of the best-selling “how-to” books for lawyers, teaching them how to sell fear and call it trust. We’ve kept the author’s words verbatim, followed by our own translation.
“Build trust, rapport, likeability, and authority in a prospect’s mind BEFORE you reveal your price.”
In plain English, that means they get you comfortable before talking about money. We prefer the opposite order. We publish our fees so the conversation can start with facts about the case, not small talk engineered to soften you up the way NCIS does it.
“The trick is to build up enough value so that when you reveal your price, hiring YOU will be cheap in comparison to any and every other alternative.”
That “trick” depends on fear. Our firm doesn’t perform tricks. The value of experienced defense is obvious; it doesn’t need to be staged.
“The end results will be determined by demonstrating that your fee is much lower than the price they would have to pay if convicted.”
Every service member already understands what a conviction costs. We don’t weaponize that knowledge to sell representation.
“They’ll realize, ‘I have GOT TO get money to hire this attorney… In fact, I’m saving money by hiring him, not spending.’”
That’s the sales pitch version of panic. We don’t manufacture urgency. We give clear information and let clients decide when to act.
“Your local grocery store uses ‘Saving vs. Spending’ language, and now you know why.”
Comparing military defense to grocery marketing says everything about the mindset. We’re not in the discount business; we’re in the defense business.
“So that’s the spiel. How do you think the potential client will perceive this? It works like magic and you have to try this script.”
If something works like “magic,” it’s probably manipulation. We don’t use scripts. Each client gets a real conversation about real risks.
“Start with a much higher number that comes NOT FROM YOU, but from a third-party, authoritative sources.”
In practice, that means making up inflated “costs of conviction” to make a retainer seem small. We don’t anchor clients to fake math.
“The potential client becomes anchored to the $12,000 price you’re building up for them… You then cross it out and put your minuscule retainer fee in comparison.”
That’s theater, not professionalism. We say what the fee is, explain what it covers, and stop there.
“Building up the value, then coming back down to your retainer is going to cause a very different reaction.”
The only reaction we want is trust. When the price is the same for everyone, there’s nothing to “build up” or talk down.
“Some attorneys have their admins talk prices so clients won’t perceive them as the bad guy.”
We handle our own calls. If you ask about cost, you’ll hear it directly from the lawyer you’ll work with. No middleman, no theater, no bad guy.
Talk to an experienced UCMJ lawyer for free about your case at Great Lakes
If you’re under investigation, have court-martial charges, or have an upcoming AdSep Board, we’ll be happy to talk to you about your situation. Call us at 800-319-3134 or send us a form, and you’ll talk directly to an attorney, not a screener.