Serving Veterans and Military Families

Under an initiative that began in 2010, LSC is focusing on improving access to justice for low-income military veterans and for military families. Many veterans who served in combat zones are confronting legal problems—such as child custody, employment and homelessness—that are handled on a regular basis by LSC-funded programs.

Local legal aid offices are gateways for veterans in need of civil legal assistance. These offices have established networks with bar association pro bono programs, law school clinics and social services agencies, and are experienced in using Help Lines to provide information on complex subjects.

As part of this initiative, LSC funded the launch of StatesideLegal.org, developed through a Technology Initiative Grant by Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Maine. It is a free resource for low-income individuals with a military connection, including veterans and current members of the military and their families. Information on the website covers such topics as disability benefits, employment and legal protections for service members confronted with foreclosure proceedings.

LSC also began an awareness campaign, reaching out to the Veterans Affairs Department’s Readjustment Counseling Service, known as the Vet Center Program, to share information about legal services and to create appropriate referral systems to minimize veterans’ frustrations in obtaining advice and representation on civil legal problems.

Over the years, LSC programs have developed notable initiatives to serve veterans. They include:

• The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program, a partnership of major Veterans Services Organizations, which provides pro bono representation for pro se appellants before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
• The Bill Smith Homeless Veterans Project at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, to assist veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless on a wide range of legal issues.
• The Veterans’ Rights Project at the Legal Aid Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, to help veterans secure VA benefits and protect their legal rights on consumer, housing and related issues.
• The Kentucky Corps of Advocates for Veterans at the Legal Aid Society of Louisville, Ky., a collaboration with the state bar, the courts, the Kentucky Department of Veterans, and Veterans Services Organizations to increase legal assistance available to veterans.

Links

StatesideLegal.org