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Citizen Soldier Law

Celebrating 10 Years of Advocacy with Over 80 Years of Military Experience

Military & Veteran Lawyer
Veteran Owned and Operated Law firm
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973-937-6010
Results may vary depending on your particular
facts and legal circumstances
Trust Veterans With All Your Legal Needs
You are not Alone with our legal team and
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Physician On Your Team. On Your Side. Dr. Alice Tzeng, M.D. Board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
We Are National Guard Veterans Honoring the heritage and sacrifice of our nation’s citizen Soldiers through the centuries.

Veterans & Military Lawyers

Veteran or not – You can trust an experienced litigator who is a retired, part-time JAG lawyer with your first call

Those with legal needs from across the country can call on Citizen Soldier Law for advice, assistance, or a referral for a lawyer they can trust. Our attorneys and staff are experienced veterans with over one hundred years of combined military service, including veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom. You’ll also have the benefit of experienced and retired JAG lawyers, a retired Army National Guard human resources NCO, a board-certified physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation and a former Assistant Prosecutor with hands-on trial experience. With Citizen Soldier Law, you’ve found the right resource to help you with your legal needs. Contact our experienced veteran & military lawyers today.

IDES/MEB/PEBs (Active Duty and Reserve Component – all branches) – Supplying legal advice to those who are injured, and still serving in our military, was the catalyst for founding this law firm in 2013.   We have been active duty and reserve JAG attorneys.  As such, we are competent to represent Active Duty and Reserve Component IDES for all branches, active and reserve and national guard.  Besides, all IDES decisions are processed in Title 10, active duty settings for both Medical Evaluation Boards and Physical Evaluation Informal and Formal Boards.

Do not hire a lawyer simply because you know them. Hire a Veteran who is trustworthy and competent to assist you as it relates to your military service and your current legal matter.

Veterans Serving Veterans In Military Legal Matters

Citizen Soldier Law is veteran owned and operated. We’ve been deployed, and we have personally gone through many of the issues you are now facing. That’s why we focus our practice on Servicemembers, veterans and Reserve Component brethren to strive to help them across the spectrum of their legal needs. Our lawyers stand ready to advise and represent you before across the range of court and administrative proceedings, disability proceedings, courts-martial and administrative separation boards. We provide practical advice and effective assistance with the correction of military records, discharge upgrades and corrections, disability compensation increases, and more. Contact our office for help with:

  • National Guard and Reserve Enlisted Administrative Actions
  • National Guard and Reserve Officer Administrative Actions
  • Medical Evaluation Boards (MEB), Physical Evaluation Boards (PEB), and Veterans Administration Appeals
  • MEB, PEB & IDES Law
  • Criminal Defense & DWI Charges
  • Personal Injury
  • Law Enforcement & Fire Personnel
  • Medical Licensing
  • Weapons Possession Advocacy

Helping Veterans And Others With All Their Legal Needs

Beyond military law, we’re here for veterans and others presented with legal challenges in many other aspects of life. Military or civilian, we can help you in a number of areas. We help people hurt in a car accident or slip and fall recover compensation for their personal injury caused by a negligent party. With experience as a prosecutor, in civil court proceedings and as a defense lawyer in military and civilian settings, we provide a strong and effective trial-experienced team throughout New Jersey and can find the right lawyer for you across the country. This includes getting help and avoiding incarceration throughout the country and in the New Jersey Veterans Criminal Diversion program. We are also there for you in other practice areas such as employment discrimination, workmen’s compensation, real estate transactions, estate planning, bankruptcy and foreclosure, paying special attention to the unique challenges and opportunities veterans face in these vital areas of the law.

Our experience advocating before administrative boards and agencies translates to other areas as well. We lend our expertise to helping law enforcement officers and fire firefighters with personnel administrative actions and medical disability appeals. Additionally, we represent doctors and other health professionals in licensing, privilege and disciplinary matters. And through our weapons possession advocacy practice, we support and defend the rights of law enforcement officers to carry weapons off-duty to the fullest extent of the law and constitution.

Our Military Lawyers Are Here For You When You Need Us

We know your legal needs don’t follow the calendar, and neither do we. Call anytime, and we’ll make ourselves available to you. We handle criminal defense cases throughout New Jersey, and other aspects of our practice are national in scope, including all military and disability matters. Whether you are currently serving in the military, formerly served or never served, Citizen Soldier Law is a law firm you can count on and trust to meet your legal needs with honesty, integrity, ability and skill. Call our office at 973-937-6010. Our veteran & military lawyers can provide the helpful guidance that you need.

The use within this website of any reference to military assignments, rank, positions, titles, organization names, or any other military-related reference, does not imply an endorsement, or imply that DoD or any of its components endorse, sanction, or treat this LLC, or any of its members, in a preferential manner. Moreover, any views expressed on this website are those of Thomas Roughneen & Associates, Counsellors at Law, LLC, and do not reflect the official policy or position of the New Jersey Army National Guard, the Physical Disability Agency, the Physical Evaluation Board, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

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About Attorney Thomas Roughneen, Esq.
Thomas Roughneen, Esq.

Attorney Thomas Roughneen completed his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University in 1991 and earned his Juris Doctorate law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1995. He later obtained a master's degree in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Thomas has served as a prosecutor in Essex County and Union County and as an attorney in private practice handling criminal, civil and administrative matters. His military experience includes serving in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps and the Office of Military Commissions. Thomas has served in the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve since 1988 and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Thomas is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

  • Founded a law firm whose staff brings over 100 years of military service
  • Senior Defense Counsel for RI, CT and NJ Army National Guards
  • Adjudicator, Army Physical Evaluation Board
  • Warrior in Transition / Rehabilitated and Found Fit for Duty
  • Veterans of Operation <br>Iraqi Freedom

    Veterans of Operation
    Iraqi Freedom

  • Assistant Prosecutor <br>With Trial Experience

    Assistant Prosecutor
    With Trial Experience

  • Human Resource <br>NCO

    Human Resource
    NCO

  • National Organization <br>Of Veterans’ Advocates

    National Organization
    Of Veterans’ Advocates

  • Best DUI Lawyers <br>in Union City

    Best DUI Lawyers
    in Union City

Client Testimonials

RESULTS MAY VARY DEPENDING ON YOUR PARTICULAR FACTS AND LEGAL CIRCUMSTANCES

November 05, 2024

I appreciated Mr. Roughneen giving me different options on how to handle my situation. Knowing these options did make me feel more comfortable moving forward in working to get a desirable outcome. I would use his consultation services again. Read More

— J.D.
October 24, 2024

It was amazing. I called and that awesome LTC helped me out over the phone with a few specifics of my case. Gave amazing advice. Awesome service. Read More

— Octavio N.
October 02, 2024

Rockie is a great man & was my commander and leader early in my Military career. You can rest assured that anything he does involving the military and it’s Veterans are genuine and sincere. I will follow this gentleman anywhere, because I know and understand his heart! He’s a hard charger, and when it comes to the ... Read More

— Lynn W.
September 04, 2024

My case was a very difficult and sensitive subject and something that I wanted to fight, I had other law firms that I reached out to in my area refusing to take my case seeing no value in even pursuing it. Citizen Soldier Law had a different perspective and made absolutely sure to me win or lose they would fight for me and ... Read More

— Y.F.
August 08, 2024

THANK YOU SIR, I was left at 60% but granted total unemployable paid at 100% permanent from July 2021 sleep apnea denied but continued evaluation it says no further examination needed. Can’t thank you and your staff enough. Read More

— Dan D.
June 14, 2024

I found Citizen Soldier Law in an online search, Since my employment law case specifically involved an issue with military discharge, I felt confident that the high number of Military Veterans on staff at Citizen Soldier Law, made this firm especially qualified to handle my case, their adaptability to my specific needs, as ... Read More

— Jeremy T.
History Timeline of the U.S. Military
previous
1636
December 13, 1636

National Guard
The first militia regiments in North America were organized in Massachusetts. Based upon an order of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court, the colony's militia was organized into three permanent regiments to better defend the colony. Today, the descendants of these first regiments - the 181st Infantry, the 182nd Infantry, the 101st Field Artillery, and the 101st Engineer Battalion of the Massachusetts Army National Guard – share the distinction of being the oldest units in the U.S. military. December 13, 1636, thus marks the beginning of the organized militia, and the birth of the National Guard's oldest organized units is symbolic of the founding of all the state, territory, and District of Columbia militias that collectively make up today's National Guard. (source: www.nationalguard.mil)

1775
June 14, 1775

United States Army
The Second Continental Congress formed the Continental Army as a means for the 13 unified American colonies to fight the forces of Britain. George Washington was unanimously elected Commander-In-Chief of the fledgling Army, and he would lead the colonies to victory and independence. (source: www.goarmy.com)

1775
October 13, 1775

United States Navy
After the American War of Independence, the U.S. Constitution empowered the new Congress “to provide and maintain a navy.” Acting on this authority, Congress established the Department of the Navy on 30 April 1798. In 1972, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt authorized official recognition of 13 October as the birthday of the U.S. Navy. (source: www.history.navy.mil)

1775
November 10, 1775

United States Marine Corps
The Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia passed a resolution stating that 'two Battalions of Marines be raised' for service as landing forces with the fleet. This resolution established the Continental Marines and marked the birth date of the United States Marine Corps. (source: www.usmcu.edu)

1790
August 4, 1790

United States Coast Guard
President George Washington signed the 'Tariff Act,' a bill Congress passed that had been written and submitted by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. The bill authorized Hamilton to build ten cutters to protect the new nation's revenue (Stat. L. 145, 175). Alternately known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service would officially be named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863. The cutters were placed under the control of the Treasury Department. This date marks the officially recognized birthday of the Coast Guard. (source: www.history.uscg.mil)

1798
July 16, 1798

United States Public Health Service
President John Adams signed into law the “Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen.” A year later, Congress extended the Act to cover every officer and Sailor in the United States Navy. The Act led to the gradual creation of a network of marine hospitals along coastal and inland waterways. On 4 January 1889 an Act of Congress established the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and formalized the Commissioned Corps as the uniformed services component of the Marine Hospital Service. (source: www.usphs.gov)

1947
September 18, 1947

United States Air Force
World War II had been over for two years and the Korean War lay three years ahead when the Air Force ended a 40-year association with the US Army to become a separate service. The US Air Force thus entered a new era in which airpower became firmly established as a major element of the nation’s defense and one of its chief hopes for deterring war. The Department of the Air Force was created when President Harry S Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. It became effective 18 September 1947, when Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson administered the oath of office to the first secretary of the Air Force, W. Stuart Symington, a position filled by presidential appointment. (source: www.af.mil)

2019
December 20, 2019

US Space Force
Established on December 20, 2019 with enactment of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The USSF (US Space Force) was established within the Department of the Air Force, meaning the Secretary of the Air Force has overall responsibility for the USSF under the guidance and direction of the Secretary of Defense. The USSF is a military service that organizes, trains, and equips space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and provide space capabilities to the joint force.
(source:www.spaceforce.mil).

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