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Legal Weasels keep Team Shaw on right side of law

  • Published
  • 20th Fighter Wing Legal Office
Legal matters can be tricky. Can anyone in the 20th Fighter Wing legal office provide legal advice? What is the first step to procuring a power of attorney? Can Airmen solicit fundraising donations in uniform? Luckily for Team Shaw members, the award-winning professionals at the 20th FW legal office are dedicated to clearing up these kinds of questions and concerns.

The 20th FW legal office is comprised of active duty and civilian paralegals and attorneys. Both paralegals and attorneys follow the same guidelines regarding professional responsibilities and attorney-client privilege, but paralegals are not qualified to provide legal advice.

The responsibilities of 20th FW attorneys range from processing courts martial and advising wing leadership on adverse actions, reviewing contracts and other administrative matters. Due to their varied mission, the legal office sets aside specific hours for legal assistance to ensure attorneys can focus on individual concerns. Anyone seeking advice should stop by the legal office during walk-in hours on Tuesdays from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 – 11 a.m. to meet with an attorney.

Members seeking powers of attorney can visit aflegalassistance.law.af.mil and select “Create Power of Attorney Worksheet” under the “Legal Worksheets” link. Once the form has been filled out and the member has saved their ticket number, they can bring it to the legal office to be notarized.

In addition to assisting Team Shaw members with personal legal concerns such as powers of attorney, the legal office also ensures fundraisers held at Shaw comply with official guidelines. A large part of this function is making sure members know the difference between official and unofficial fundraisers.

If any of the funds raised will go to an organization other than those explicitly designated for official status, such as the Air Force Assistance Fund and the Combined Federal Campaign, the fundraiser is considered unofficial.

Participation in unofficial fundraisers is voluntary, and members are not authorized to endorse or support unofficial fundraisers in an official Air Force capacity. Unofficial fundraising may be conducted on base only if the event is approved by the installation commander and it does not take place in the work center.

Additionally, official channels may be used to disseminate information about unofficial fundraisers only if the information presented is neutral, factual, and does not endorse, solicit, or encourage participation in an event. Unofficial fundraisers are not permitted while AFAF and CFC donations are being collected.

By providing Team Shaw members access to quality legal services, the 20th FW legal office ensures Shaw Weasels are able to fully focus on the mission, enabling the 20th FW and the U.S. Air Force as a whole to fly, fight, and win, and remain superior in air, space, and cyberspace.

For more information, call the 20th FW legal office at 803-895-1560.