Fort Sill Legal Assistance Office wins 27th straight excellence award

By Jeff Crawley, Fort Sill TribuneOctober 20, 2016

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1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Fort Sill Legal Assistance Office staff poses with their award Oct. 12, at Fort Sill. Kathryn McClure (center), Client Services chief, holds the Army Chief of Staff Award for Excellence in Legal Assistance. Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Si... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Kathryn McClure, Client Services chief, receives the ACoS Award for Excellence in Legal Assistance from Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill Command Sgt. Maj. Carl Fagan (left), and FCoE and Fort Sill Commanding General Maj. Gen. Brian McKiernan ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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FORT SILL, Okla. (Oct. 20, 2016) -- The Army Chief of Staff Award for Excellence in Legal Assistance was established in 1986, to recognize staffs for superior achievement in providing legal advice and assistance to Soldiers, family members and retirees on their personal legal affairs.

The Fort Sill Legal Assistance Office again won the award for Fiscal 2015 -- just like it has done every year since 1989. That's 27 years.

Maj. Gen. Brian McKiernan, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill commanding general, presented the award to Kathryn McClure, Client Services chief, who accepted the award on behalf of the Legal Assistance team, Oct. 12, in Bldg. 4700.

McClure said winning the award was a team effort on part of the staff's 15 attorneys and paralegals.

"This is the Army saying we have the best, dedicated staff who sets the standard," said McClure, who oversees the Legal Assistance and Claims offices. "It feels great."

During the ceremony, McClure recognized the Soldiers and civilians in Legal Assistance. She noted that a lot of Soldiers who were on the staff in 2015 have since transferred.

McClure also paid homage to Susan Bates Ward, former Legal Assistance chief, who began the winning tradition. Ward retired in 2010, after 22 years with the program.

"I had to give tribute to her because she established the practices and procedures," McClure said. "I was just the one who had to sustain them."

The general congratulated the staff and called the winning streak a dynasty.

"Thank you, the service you provide for our Soldiers is indispensable," McKiernan said. The streak is truly exceptional, it reflects that the staff isn't resting on its achievements, instead it's looking to improve its processes and procedures.

Lt. Col. Philip Staten, FCoE and Fort Sill deputy staff judge advocate, said winning the award was no small feat for the staff, who competed in the Army large installation category.

The Judge Advocate General Corps' mission states that legal services are important in maintaining Soldier readiness, Staten said.

For 2015, Legal Assistance attorneys provided 12,000 services to nearly 1,600 clients on issues ranging from family law to estate planning to landlord disputes to identity theft to credit issues.

Fort Sill was one of nine large installations to receive the award for 2015, McClure said. Installations do not compete against each other, but to standards.

Chief of staff evaluators looked at award criteria in four areas: responsiveness to clients, preventive law, program innovations, and professional development of attorneys and paralegals, McClure said.

Preventive law classes and briefings are given to stop legal problems from developing, McClure said. Topics include landlord and tenant issues; Oklahoma family law on separation, divorce and child custody; and consumer law.

"We talk to people about what the law is, what their rights are, what their responsibilities are," she said. "Last year, we did over 210 preventive law briefs."

For innovation, the office was evaluated on how it implemented creative ways to better serve its customers, McClure said.

The award evaluators looked at how the Legal Assistance staff was holding itself accountable for its services, what its customer satisfaction percentage was and how it was keeping FCoE and Fort Sill Staff Judge Advocate Col. David Mendelson informed about its performance.

Every client was provided a customer survey, not an Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) comment card, McClure said. Each month the Legal Assistance Office compiled customer feedback data from the surveys and briefed Mendelson.

Another service provided by the Legal Assistance Office is free tax preparation through the Fort Sill Installation Tax Assistance Center (ITAC).

Sheila Olsen, ITAC director, said it was exciting to receive the recognition.

The award reflects the professionalism and collective knowledge that the staff provides to customers, Olsen said.

Attorney Capt. Chrissy Schwennsen, was acting chief of Legal Assistance during a portion of the award rating period. She attributed receiving the honor to leadership, and a supportive, co-operative staff, who shares knowledge as the they deal in many areas of law.

"We have the most superior staff that I have ever seen. A lot of it is the civilian leadership of Ms. Kate McClure, who is the absolute continuity that takes us from one chief to an acting chief to the next chief," Schwennsen said.

Receiving the award for 27 years is an incredible feat said Schwennsen, but added that she wasn't surprised knowing the staff.

"I know we can keep it going. Let's get to 30 years."