Alumna serving in Army JAG Corps receives Meritorious Service Medal

Liberty University School of Law alumna U.S. Army Capt. Dominique Dove (’15) was awarded the Army Meritorious Service Medal on July 10 for her distinguished achievements as a government appellate attorney for the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

The Meritorious Service Medal is one of the highest non-combat awards a person can receive in his or her military career. Dove’s achievements for this award include arguing four cases and drafting 11 briefs involving the Army Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and she also assisted in the development of new counsel orientation and training programs within the JAG Corps. Among her achievements, her supervisor recognized that Dove “routinely produced persuasive and well-reasoned briefs that advanced the interest of justice and the United States.” He remarked that her efforts were “instrumental in upholding numerous convictions and sentences, thereby assisting commanders in maintaining good order and discipline.”

In 2024, Dove also received the Top 40 Young Lawyers Award from the American Bar Association (ABA) Young Lawyers Division and was recognized for her advocacy work to support female service members. Dove wrote and implemented Army Directive 2022-06, which modified policies in the Army for operational deferment, postpartum fitness requirements, and increased family care plan flexibility.

Earlier this year, Dove was awarded the George Washington University Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award of Excellence, one of the school’s most prestigious awards, given in honor King’s memory. She also published her first peer-reviewed article in the “European Cyber Warfare Conference,” titled “Cyber Warfare called Compelled Testimony? A U.S. Legal and Ethical Review of Compelled Biometric Data and Encryption.”

This summer, Dove is taking an intensive course at University of Oxford, Faculty of Law on international human rights law.

“We are very proud of Captain Dove and the impact she is having in the Army and on our country’s servicemen and servicewomen,” School of Law Dean Dr. Timothy Todd said. “She represents the values of Liberty Law as a Champion for Christ who places a priority on serving others and fulfilling her duties with excellence.”

Dove said that looking back at all her achievements has been unbelievable, and she aims to continue representing God as she serves her country.

“I aim to be a light, serving others with empathy, seeking justice with humility, and using my voice as an advocate for other veterans,” she said. “In a world where faith isn’t always spoken, I let my character speak first. I know that God has placed me in these roles not just to succeed but to make His presence known through how I treat people, how I lead, and how I endure.”