Clear. Credible.
Military Law.

When accuracy matters

A Bridge Between the Military Justice System
and the Civilian Legal System

Advocating for the civilians our military serves.

Military Expert Advisor

Military Law Expert Witness and Legal Consultant

Clear, objective insight into military justice, UCMJ procedures, and servicemember rights for attorneys, journalists, and production teams.

Lt Col. Gary S. Barthel, USMC (Ret)
Former JAG Officer

Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel | Former JAG Officer

Military Law.
Clarity. Credibility.

When accuracy matters

The Bridge Between Military Justice and Public Understanding.

Gary Barthel helps bridge the divide between military experience and public understanding.

Gary
Barthel

Areas of Expertise

Mr. Barthel provides specialized support for attorneys, newsrooms, and production environments. Most civilians do not understand the military culture, customs, procedures and regulations. As a result, civilian attorneys, journalists and production teams don’t walk into military cases or stories with confidence. The military is a separate society with its own laws, customs, and language. When a civilian professional steps into this world, they often find that:

The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) operates on principles that can seem counterintuitive to those accustomed to civilian legal proceedings.

From the nuances of an Article 32 preliminary hearing to the rigid hierarchy of command influence, the “how” is just as important as the “what.”

Cases containing military issues carry collateral consequences civilian practitioners often do not understand and underestimate. Trying to handle a civilian matter that involves a military component with a civilian-only lens is like navigating a minefield with a street map – miss the military nuances, and the consequences can be devastating.

Gary’s job is to identify relevant military issues and bring a deeper understanding on how those issues play a role in a case so that the attorneys, court, jurors and the public have a clear understanding of the importance and interplay within a particular case.

As a career Marine Corps Judge Advocate and founder of the Military Law Center, Gary has nearly 40 years of experience and translating military justice in easy to understand language that civilian attorneys, decision-makers, and the public can understand. He provides the technical “inside track” that only comes from decades of experience in dealing with military issues in a variety of military legal billets as well as his decades of experience with the interplay between the military and civilian legal systems.

Whether you are building a complex legal case, reporting a breaking story, or directing a high-stakes scene for film, you need an advisor who has lived it. Gary serves as your primary bridge to authenticity, revealing how military investigations are conducted, how the decision to charge a crime is made, and the unique procedures of prosecuting a case in a military courtroom.

For Legal Teams:
Expert Witness & Litigation Consulting

When a civilian case involves a military component, the facts are rarely straightforward. Gary provides comprehensive case evaluation, written opinions, and credible testimony with clear, credible insight into military service records, military regulations, procedures,administrative actions, and military pay and benefits to support your case.

For Newsrooms:
Media Analysis & Commentary

In the 24-hour news cycle, timing and accuracy is the ultimate currency. Gary provides journalists and producers with rapid-response, non-partisan analysis of high-profile courts-martial, military reform, and legal analysis as it relates to specific military issues.

Gary’s job is to make the mystic of the military world understandable.

Expert Witness & Trial Consultant

Comprehensive case evaluation, written opinions, and credible testimony involving UCMJ violations, courts-martial, and complex administrative actions.

When a case involves military service, the facts are rarely straightforward. Gary provides attorneys with the technical “inside track” on military records and command procedures to build stronger, defensible arguments that resonate with judges and juries alike.

Inside the Military Justice System (coming soon)

Battleground:

Defending the Defenders

Exposing the hidden failures of the military justice system through the eyes of a Marine who prosecuted and defended cases within the system and advised Commanding Officers and Generals how to uphold it. This is an insider’s account of how a system meant to uphold discipline often betrays the very people who serve.

AUTHORITATIVE ANALYSIS
FOR THE NEWSROOM.

MEDIA ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY

Rapid-response, non-partisan legal interpretation for broadcast segments, investigative reporting, and background briefings on military affairs.

In the 24-hour news cycle, timing and accuracy is the ultimate currency. Gary translates the rigid complexities of the military justice system into clear, actionable insights, helping producers and journalists explain the high-stakes reality of the military justice system to a global audience.

Gary Barthel in the Media

Gary S. Barthel is a wealth of knowledge in military law and provides insight for the media. As a former Marine Corps judge advocate and Staff Judge Advocate at multiple U.S. Marine Corps bases Gary is often called upon for his expertise. Mr. Barthel is available to schedule interviews as well as appearances upon request. Here are a few of his media appearances:

Stolen Valour: iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas

NBC News: Hundreds of San Diego-area Marines accused of defrauding federal government

CBC News: Sending military to L.A. a ‘gross overstep’ by Trump administration | Hanomansing Tonight

KPBS: What’s Next For Wikileaks Espionage Case?

Task & Purpose

Patty Nieberg, Jul 9, 2025

Army lays out policy to search deceased soldiers’ phones for classified info

Gary Barthel, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel and a civilian lawyer who has represented troops in military and civil legal cases said the policy acts as a force protection measure to prevent sensitive military information disclosures.

Snoopes

Megan Loe, June 17, 2025

Unpacking claims that VA doctors can deny care to Democrats, unmarried veterans

“The changes are not likely to have any impact on a nonmarried or Democratic veteran from receiving care and if a care provider refused to provide care because of a veteran’s political affiliation or marital status, they likely would be disciplined for doing so and could lose their license to practice.”

Military.com

Drew F. Lawrence and Konstantin Toropin, June 11, 2025

Marines Authorized to Temporarily Detain Protesters in LA, Raising Legal Concerns

Active-duty Marines deployed to the Los Angeles area to protect federal buildings and personnel amid protests there are authorized to temporarily detain people “if threatened” or “otherwise harassed” before turning them over to civilian law enforcement, according to two defense officials.

LAist

Robert Garrova, June 12, 2025

How veterans are reacting to Marine deployment in LA: ‘The impact is so negative’

“In my professional opinion, this is not a situation that warrants calling in active-duty Marines,” Gary Barthel, a retired lieutenant colonel who served 20 years with the U.S. Marine Corps, told LAist. Barthel is also managing partner of the Military Law Center in San Diego.

“excellent demeanor, aggressive when needed, compassionate when warranted.” – Chief Military Judge

Contact Military Expert, Gary S. Barthel

Gary Barthel provides trusted military expert witness services to attorneys across the U.S., including assistance with discovery, deposition support, trial testimony, and expert consulting. Based in San Diego, available nationwide.