KU Law News
KU Law News
Oct. 13, 2009
Law alumnus promoted to major general in U.S. Army
Harvard Law Record/Andrew KallochMaj. Gen. Clyde J. Tate II, L'82
A University of Kansas School of Law alumnus has been selected for promotion to the rank of two-star general in the U.S. Army with an appointment as the Army's second most senior Judge Advocate.
Brig. Gen. Clyde J. "Butch" Tate II assumed the role of Deputy Judge Advocate General on Oct. 1 and will be promoted to major general at an upcoming ceremony.
“My promotion is a recognition not so much of past accomplishments but is an indication of future expectations,” Tate said. “In my case, I have had the good fortune to serve with outstanding subordinates and superiors alike, and I am honored and humbled by the vote of confidence that comes with the privilege of continuing to serve the sons and daughters of our nation.”
Tate has been on active duty with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 27 years with his wife, Lynn Klotz-Tate, also a KU graduate, by his side. He earned his commission through KU’s Army ROTC program in 1979 and deferred active duty to attend KU Law, graduating in 1982. He currently serves as commander of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency, which is responsible for representing and defending the Army's interests in civil matters pending before courts and administrative bodies. He is also chief judge of the Army's Court of Criminal Appeals, an Article I court with jurisdiction over appeals filed from soldiers convicted at trials by court-martial.
This month, he assumes his duties as the Army's Deputy Judge Advocate General, supporting the Army Judge Advocate General in his mission to effectively and efficiently deliver worldwide legal support and services to the Army.
Tate says the JAG Corps provided him immediate legal experience, “the kind that would take years to accumulate in civilian practice.”
“I received broad exposure to a wide variety of jobs and had the personal satisfaction of knowing that the jobs I've had truly made a difference,” he said.
Tate has served in a variety of leadership positions, including senior lawyer at the 82d Airborne Division, the 3rd Armored Corps at Ft. Hood and the Multi-National Corps in Iraq; legal adviser to the Army Special Forces Command, the U.S. Special Operations Command and the Army's Office of Legislative Liaison; and commandant and criminal law professor at the Army's Legal Center and School, an ABA-accredited school in Charlottesville, Va.
His day-to-day work involves diverse responsibilities. Tate directs the efforts of the Army's litigation attorneys in their defense of the Army's interests in federal litigation. He also sits as chief judge of the Army Court of Criminal Appeals, hearing oral argument from defense and government appellate attorneys, reading briefs and writing opinions of the court.
Finally, Tate serves as commander of all those assigned to the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency, which amounts to approximately 500 personnel worldwide. In that capacity, he manages a $25 million budget and provides administrative and logistical support of all personnel.
Tate comes from an Army family. His father served 37 years as an infantry officer, including two combat assignments in Vietnam.
“I learned early on in life that military service is a privilege,” Tate says. “I recognize that, and with this promotion I am afforded the opportunity to continue to serve and do what I love to do. My family and I serve the greatest force for good in the world: the men, women and families of our Army. In that, there is total goodness.”