Military & Veterans Law Honors Michael Archer
The NCBA Military & Veterans Law Section recently presented the 2025 Kirk Warner Award for Distinguished Service to the Military and Veterans to Michael S. Archer of Jacksonville. Archer serves as Director of Legal Assistance for Marine Corps Installations East (which includes Camp Lejeune, MCAS New River, MCAS Cherry Point, Recruit Depot Parris Island, MCAS Beaufort).
The award was presented on Tuesday, June 24, at the N.C. Bar Center. Andrea Smaxwell, section chair, presented the award. Introductory comments were also provided by Kirk Warner, the initial recipient of the award, which was established by the section and first presented in 2018.
Michael S. Archer, left, accepts award from Andrea Smaxwell.
“I am thrilled to take part in what has quickly become one of my most favorite traditions,” Smaxwell stated. “This award recognizes individuals who have provided not only outstanding service to military members and/or veterans, but who also promote the same in others by their devotion to selfless assistance to those who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States.
“This award is named for and in recognition of the work and commitment of Colonel Kirk Warner (ret.), who has both a long and continuing history of service to the military and to veterans. Although he will tell you it wasn’t his idea to name the award after him, it was done so for good reason. Colonel Warner was the power behind the establishment and creation of the Military and Veterans Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.”
Warner commended Archer for his extensive record of service to the military community, which includes countless publications and presentations. Archer, he added, is also the author of his favorite book, “Ripped Off! A Servicemember’s Guide to Common Scams, Frauds, and Bad Deals.”
“So here’s the bottom line,” Warner said. “I’m seriously not aware of any attorney in our state, perhaps in our nation – Mark Sullivan may be excluded – who is so fully engaged in meaningful legal assistance for our servicemen and women. And done so much for them over these decades of incredible service. Congratulations.”
Smaxwell provided an overview of the award criteria and a brief biographical sketch of Archer, who joined the Marines in 1983 and retired in 2003 as Major Michael S. Archer.
“He began his involvement with NCBA and NC LAMP 30 years ago,” Smaxwell continued, “when he received orders from California to Camp Lejeune. Following his retirement from active duty in February 2003, he entered into private practice. A few years later, he ended up back at Camp Lejeune working with the legal assistance program.”
Archer, she added, has been a principal organizer of multiple military CLEs and has presented on countless occasions at these programs. He has also published extensively and actively engaged in legislative activities as well at the state and national level.
“He has been involved with developing and presenting the military’s position on state legislation,” Smaxwell said, “working through the N.C. Commanders Conference and the Office of Legislative Affairs. These efforts have been largely successful in preventing harmful legislation and in enacting military-friendly legislation concerning such matters as expanding military enrollment opportunities in N.C. public schools, lease termination, and foreclosure. He appeared before the Senate commerce committee to address proposed enhancements to the Military Lending Act resulting in the MLA implementing regulation being expanded.”
“All in all,” she concluded, “it is likely that during his career, Mr. Archer has seen more legal assistance clients, produced more estate planning documents, conducted more death imminent will executions, brought more cases before the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board, and produced and disseminated more legal assistance publications than any other person in the Marine Corps.”
A previous recipient of the NC LAMP Distinguished Service Award and the ABA LAMP Distinguished Service Award, Archer concluded the ceremony with his acceptance remarks.
“I’ve had the great honor and privilege of assisting the 99 percent of the military community that isn’t necessarily a commanding officer or a criminal defendant,” Archer said. “They don’t make movies about legal assistance, but let me tell you, there’s plenty of drama.”
Archer shared several stories from his experiences, closing with one from his first legislative effort in North Carolina, in which he received a call from the colonel who was working in the Office of Legislative Affairs.
“I take his telephone call, and he says, ‘What we want you to do, Mike, is to go to the North Carolina General Assembly and express the opinion and the position of the Department of Defense on this legislation.’ And I’m going, ‘Are you kidding? How does this happen?’
“It happens because of a lot of people. People like the ones in this organization here. I get the award, but the fact of the matter is I’m propped up by a bunch of folks at Camp Lejeune. I’m propped up by my staff there. I’m propped up by my mentors who are largely in this audience, and I am propped up by the NCBA as well.
“And last but not least – certainly not least – I would like to say thank you to one person who needs to be thanked for everything: any awards, any accomplishments, anything that I’ve received. My wife, Deborah, for the last 42 years, who has been through the personal and professional challenges and has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement.
“Thank you all.”
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.