Our Merit Badge Counselor is Mr. Michael R Waters CIV USN NAVFAC SW SAN CA (USA).

Mr. Waters is an attorney who has worked for the Department of the Navy as a civilian employee for over 18 years. Before that he was an active duty Air Force JAG for five-and-a-half years, and continues as a JAG Reservist up to the present.

Mr. Waters earned his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1996, and while in law school he worked for the Colorado State Public Defender and the school's Native American Legal Clinic. He has defended and prosecuted criminal law cases, in both civil and military courts, and has defended government agencies against claims of workplace discrimination before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Has has experience in government contracts, labor and employment law, military administrative actions, and the Freedom of Information Act. His main area of practice in recent years is environmental law - clean up of historical contamination and environmental impacts planning for new projects.

If you have questions for Mr. Waters or would like to discuss a particular project, please feel free to email him at michael.r.waters@navy.mil

Law Merit Badge Pamphlet: This is strongly recommended but not absolutely essential. Mr. Waters will be drawing upon it during the in-meeting presentations, and it also tracks with the contents of the Law Merit Badge Worksheet. You can find links for how to obtain the kindle edition or hardcopy below:

Law Merit Badge Worksheet: Please download a copy of the Law Merit badge worksheet (click on the link provided below). Mr. Waters will direct you to complete sections of this worksheet in accordance with the materials covered in each meeting. Your completed worksheets will be used to verify your completion of this merit badge.

Please read about the following cases:

1. Dred Scott vs Sandford

2. Plessy vs Ferguson and Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka

Please also think about the Juries and give some thought to the idea of the Jury System.

Please read about the following four cases from pages 23 - 25 of the Law Merit Badge Pamphlet: Gideon vs Wainright, Sheppard vs Maxwell, the trial of Socrates, and the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials.

Please also read about the case of Korematsu vs United States.

For January 11th: For our next meeting (Jan 11th 2021) please look up information on the following and be prepared to discuss. You should be able to find information by doing a simple internet search.

1. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

2. Natural Law: For this topic you should try searching for "Natural Law" and the names of two people associated with this topic, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes.