MST Discharge Upgrade: What Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma Should Know

Posted on July 31, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If sexual assault or sexual harassment during your service set off the events that ended your career, the discharge on your DD-214 may not be the final word. An MST discharge upgrade asks a military...

members box for the administrative separation board hearing

Administrative Separation Board Hearing: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Posted on July 28, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If your command has started an involuntary separation against you, an administrative separation board hearing may be the most important few hours of your military career. It is your chance to stand before a panel...

Kevin Courtney, military lawyer and Super Lawyers 2027 Rising Star for Southern California standing in a law library in San Diego, California.

Kevin Courtney Named to Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2027 for Southern California

Posted on July 27, 2026

Kevin Courtney, founder of Courtney Military Law Group, P.C., has been selected to the 2027 Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars list — a peer-driven honor given to no more than 2.5% of attorneys in the region. It is his third consecutive selection, following recognition in 2025 and 2026, and it will...

Sailors getting drug tested before a CBD discharge upgrade

CBD Discharge Upgrade: What the New Bass Decision Means If a Legal Product Ended Your Career

Posted on July 25, 2026

If a CBD oil or a delta-8 gummy caused the positive THC test that ended your military career, a CBD discharge upgrade may now be within reach. In June 2026, the military’s highest court decided United States v. Bass. The court held that a positive urinalysis for hemp-derived THC, standing alone, cannot...

DoD TBI Clinic where a TBI Discharge Upgrade can start

TBI Discharge Upgrade: How a Brain Injury Can Change Your Discharge

Posted on July 24, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If a brain injury changed your behavior in uniform and that behavior ended your career, the law gives you a real path forward. A TBI discharge upgrade asks a military review board to reconsider your...

Soldier signing into to urinalysis minutes before they failed a military drug test.

Failed a Military Drug Test? How to Fight Your Separation Board

Posted on July 20, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If you failed a military drug test, it can feel like your career is already over. It is not. A positive result starts a process, but it does not end your career by itself. The...

Why Winning Your Discharge Upgrade Doesn’t Guarantee Back Pay

Posted on July 15, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney You fought for your discharge upgrade and won. The board changed your characterization to Honorable, fixed your narrative reason, and maybe even cleared you to re-enlist. So where is the money? Here is the honest...

Military retirees comparing CRSC vs CRDP pay options on paper statements

CRSC vs CRDP: How to Choose the One That Pays You More

Posted on July 13, 2026

If you are a military retiree with a VA disability rating, the CRSC vs CRDP decision controls how much of your retired pay you actually keep — and whether the government taxes it. Most retirees never get a clear explanation of the difference. Instead, they get an acronym-filled letter from DFAS and...

DOHA Security Clearance Hearing: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Posted on July 7, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If you have received a Statement of Reasons and asked for a hearing, a DOHA security clearance hearing is the proceeding where an Administrative Judge decides whether you can keep your access to classified information....

How to Remove Personality Disorder From Your DD-214

Posted on July 7, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If your DD-214 lists “personality disorder” as the reason you left the military, you are not stuck with it. You can petition to remove personality disorder from your DD-214 through one of two boards: your...

Veteran preparing an alcohol-related discharge upgrade petition with a military law attorney An alcohol-related discharge upgrade turns on the link between the drinking and an underlying condition.

Alcohol-Related Discharge Upgrade: The Childhood Trauma and Combat Connection

Posted on June 30, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If your less-than-honorable discharge traces back to drinking, you are not looking at a lost cause. An alcohol-related discharge upgrade is often possible. The key is showing that the drinking was a symptom of a condition the...

pilot in F-35 going to make a board of inquiry appeal

Board of Inquiry Appeal: What to Do If You Lose

Posted on June 20, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney A board of inquiry appeal is how an officer keeps fighting after losing the board. Strictly speaking, the military has no single “appeal” button for a board of inquiry. But you do have real post-board...