Army Grade Determination Review Board (AGDRB) Lawyer
Legally Reviewed by: Robert Capovilla
Facing an AGDRB Grade Determination With Experienced Lawyers on Your Side
A single referral hands a retirement board the power to decide what rank your pension gets paid at, and that board has never seen your career the way your command has. An Army Grade Determination Review Board lawyer’s job is to make sure the board sees the whole file, not just the page that triggered the referral.
AGDRB members work through a heavy caseload and rely on whatever is easiest to summarize. Strong evaluations, command endorsements, and a record outside the flagged incident can shift the outcome, but usually only when someone organizes that record clearly instead of leaving it buried in a stack of paperwork.
Robert Capovilla spent his JAG Corps career on both sides of cases like yours, prosecuting them and then defending them. With Mickey Williams, he’s since guided officers and senior NCOs through these exact board referrals. Tell us what’s in your file and your response deadline, and we’ll help you build the packet that makes a strong case for the grade you served.
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AGDRB Cases We Handle, From GOMORs to 30-Year Retirement Reviews
The AGDRB reviews the grade a soldier served satisfactorily whenever something in the record raises a question about it. We represent service members through every stage of that process, including:
- Grade determinations triggered by a court-martial conviction, Article 15, or a GOMOR
- 30-year retired list advancement reviews for enlisted soldiers and warrant officers
- Disability retirement and severance pay grade questions
- Referrals sent to the board directly by U.S. Army Human Resources Command
- Correction requests after an AGDRB decision, filed with the Army Board for Correction of Military Records
Regardless of the specific trigger for your review, our firm provides the focused advocacy needed to protect your rank and retirement.
How We Build Your AGDRB Response as Former Army JAG Officers
Robert Capovilla and Mickey Williams left active duty JAG careers to build this firm, and that background shapes how we handle every AGDRB matter.
Our AGDRB attorneys start by pulling your full Army Military Human Resource Record, so we can see what is missing as well as what is there. We identify every piece of adverse information driving the referral and answer each one directly, in writing, before your 30-day window closes.
Finally, we gather evaluation reports, awards, and character statements that speak to your satisfactory service in the grade the Army is questioning. Where the record supports it, we argue for advancement on the retired list or against a reduction. If the board still gets it wrong, we can help you take the next step to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records.
What a One-Grade Reduction Actually Costs You in Retired Pay
A single grade reduction can follow you for the rest of your life. Retired pay is a percentage of your basic pay in your final grade, so dropping from major to captain, or from sergeant major to master sergeant, can mean tens of thousands of dollars less over a normal retirement, depending on your grade and years of service.
The AGDRB was created by Army Regulation 15-80, and for commissioned officers, the authority to treat service in a lower grade as unsatisfactory comes from 10 U.S.C. § 1370. Once the Army notifies you of a referral, you generally have 30 days to submit matters in writing before the board decides, and that window closes fast.
This reflects Army Regulation 15-80 and federal law as of July 2026.
AGDRB Lawyer FAQs, Deadlines, Evidence, and What Happens Next
Do I need a lawyer right now, before my AGDRB response is due?
Yes. You typically have only 30 days from notification to submit matters in writing, and the board decides based on the record you provide. Waiting even a week to start gathering evidence can leave you with too little time to build a complete response.
What is the Army Grade Determination Review Board?
The AGDRB is a board of senior Army officers that decides the highest grade you served satisfactorily, which determines how your retired pay and separation pay are calculated. It works from your written record and does not investigate new evidence on its own.
Can I appear in person in front of the AGDRB?
No. You are not entitled to appear in person, so everything you want the board to consider has to go in writing or as an attached document. That makes a well-organized, complete written submission the only chance you get.
How much could a reduced grade cost me in retired pay?
Because retired pay is a percentage of your basic pay in your final grade, even one grade of reduction can mean a meaningfully smaller check every month for the rest of your retirement. We can walk through the specific math for your rank and years of service during a consultation.
What happens if I disagree with the AGDRB’s decision?
You can apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records, which has the authority to correct an AGDRB decision if it was an error or an injustice. That process has its own timeline and its own rules for what evidence it will consider, so it helps to have the same attorney carry your case forward.
What does it cost to hire an AGDRB lawyer?
Fees depend on how far along your case is and how much needs to be gathered before your response is due. We can walk you through our fee structure during a confidential consultation, before you decide anything.
Protect the Rank You Earned. Contact Capovilla & Williams Today
You do not have to build your AGDRB response alone, and you do not have to build it from scratch against a ticking clock. Robert Capovilla and Mickey Williams spent their own careers inside Army JAG offices, and they now use that knowledge to protect the great soldiers like you served.
Contact Capovilla & Williams’ AGDRB lawyers today to schedule a confidential consultation before your response window closes.
