Legal Counsel
Holds the line between principled direct action and the thing it fights, advising Command on engagement, admissibility, and ethics.
Role Summary
The Legal Counsel holds the line between principled direct action and the thing it fights — advising Command, including Fleet Admiral Evelyn "Siren" and the Admiralty, on rules of engagement, evidentiary admissibility, exposure, and the ethics of operating by the ocean's mandate beyond the reach of captured law. The Counsel reviews escalation limits before and during operations, stress-tests the Marine Forensics chain of custody for the courts that will hear it, and maintains the whistle-blower and disclosure framework that keeps the League honest with itself. The role is accountable for the proportionality of action and for being the voice that can say no to Command and make it stick. At TIDEWATER-4, the Counsel carries the League's gravest secrets and the moral weight of every line drawn between defence and aggression.
Key Responsibilities
- Advise Command and the Admiralty on rules of engagement and escalation limits before and during operations, and on the proportionality of each tier.
- Review evidence handling and chain of custody with Marine Forensics for admissibility in the courts and tribunals that will hear the League's cases.
- Maintain the whistle-blower, disclosure, and conscientious-objection framework across all divisions.
- Counsel Command on legal exposure, deniability, and the personal jeopardy of named operators.
- Author and steward governance policy and the ethics-review record, chairing post-action ethics reviews.
- Hold and exercise the standing to halt or veto any action that crosses the doctrine's ethical or legal red lines.
Required Qualifications
- Qualified legal practitioner; international, maritime, or environmental law preferred.
- Deep grounding in evidentiary and admissibility standards.
- Moral clarity and the spine to say no to Command.
- Absolute discretion at the highest clearance tier.
Preferred Qualifications
- Human-rights, NGO, or public-interest litigation background.
- Tribunal or international-court advocacy experience.
- Familiarity with the law of the sea and high-seas jurisdiction.
- Experience building disclosure and whistle-blower frameworks.
Certifications
Curricula are delivered through the Training Academy; currency is tracked on the HR training matrix.
| Certification | Status at Hire | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Bar Admission / Practising Certificate | Required | Annual |
| TIDEWATER-4 Information Handling | Required | Annual |
| Intervention Doctrine — Governance Tier | Required ≤ 60 d | Annual |
| Ethics Review Board Qualification | Preferred | 24 months |
Physical & Hazard Requirements
- Bear personal legal exposure for counsel given to direct-action operations.
- Maintain absolute confidentiality and OPSEC at TIDEWATER-4.
- Withstand the pressure of vetoing Command under operational urgency.
- Pass periodic confidentiality and clearance re-vetting.
Compensation Band
Career Path
The Legal Counsel (O-5) advances to General Counsel and a seat on the Ethics Review Board. The role partners closely with the Intelligence and NEREID Liaison functions and is a standing voice in the Admiralty's escalation decisions.
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