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                         May 24, 2002

USMA Legal Assistance Office honored for excellence

By Pfc. Nate Jastrzemski
Staff Writer

West Point’s Legal Assistance Office has been awarded the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Award for Excellence in Legal Assistance for 2001.

Lt. Col. Michael Hokenson, deputy Staff Judge Advocate here, said receiving the award is a huge achievement, especially considering West Point’s unique responsibilities in handling cadet affairs.

"Here, the legal assistants work directly with cadets facing honor board violations -- basically in a quasi-defense council role. Nobody else does that in any other place in the Army," he said.

Daniel W. Shimek, legal assistance chief here, said there are many other things his office does for the community, such as informational classes, wills, separation agreements, pensions and matrimonial assistance.

He said many offices apply for the award each year, but few win it.

Hokenson explained submitting for the award was like a win-win situation.

"Even when your office doesn’t earn the award for a particular year, you can still take the feedback and critiques on your submission and apply that information to how you run your office.

"It can help you to better understand what your office is doing [right and wrong]. It’s a means of self-assessment," Hokenson added.