VA, together with the American Bar Association, The Veterans Consortium and National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium, signed a memorandum of agreement today aimed at improving Veterans’ access to free legal services.

Veterans often face stressful legal problems — such as eviction, foreclosure, child support, or drivers’ license revocations — that can affect their ability to gain or maintain employment and housing or focus on medical treatment. In VA’s annual Community Homelessness Assessment and Local Education and Networking Groups Survey, legal assistance repeatedly tops the list of homeless Veterans’ unmet needs.

“We are encouraging VA medical centers and other VA facilities to engage with their local communities to establish legal clinics and medical legal partnerships to address Veterans’ legal needs that threaten their health and well-being,” said VA Secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin. “By signing this agreement, we are documenting a shared commitment to better facilitate Veterans’ access to legal services.”

Currently, VA hosts at least 165 free legal clinics in its VA medical centers, community based outpatient clinics and Vet centers across the country by partnering with external, legal-service providers, such as local bar associations, legal-aid organizations and law school clinics.

More information on VA’s coordination of legal services for Veterans at VA facilities may be found at https://www.va.gov/OGC/LegalServices.asp.

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12 Comments

  1. Donald Kettering November 26, 2017 at 22:49

    I just went thru a horrific week of torture. My wife had me charged for putting a lock on her gate.
    I have acute PTSD, my wife’s dirty trick nearly cost my life. I laid in an isolation cell, naked having been subjected to some pain treatment.
    We need a vet law group. To serve vets in need of legal help. It can be more important than medical help.
    Still Shakey and abused, again, at the hands of the Law.

  2. George l morales November 19, 2017 at 19:30

    I once requested a letter from my home insurance to verify that my home is not in a sinkhole status. Three ladies in high heels checked and found no problem, but now I’m on a sinkhole list and my insurance jumped from 500 to 1200. The company left Florida do I have a case?

  3. david hahn November 18, 2017 at 11:09

    @ Billy Wilson

    I think yours is a problem most of us have. While certainly homeless vets need help; There is our population one step above homelessness that are completely ignored. They should reach out to us so that we dont drop back down to that homeless level.

    I was homeless once and worked my way out of it, but I too have legal needs and cant afford an attorney

  4. Curtis Harris November 18, 2017 at 09:48

    The va hospital at the Louis stokes facility on wade park in cleveland ohio took money out of my social security check for a co pay and drugs I received no notice that they were going to do this as required by law shame,shame,shame.

  5. Milton H Baxter November 17, 2017 at 21:55

    Does fees paid to accreditation or non accreditation attorneys….my so called legal representation loss his in 2014…

  6. Wesley Eddins November 17, 2017 at 16:57

    Legal fees make it extremely difficult to get the necessary representation needed to most veterans like myself. After paying legal fees a difficult situation becomes a rapidly deteriorating hardship.

  7. EDGAR LEWIS November 17, 2017 at 15:15

    I’m really appreciative of this much needed service. There are unscrupulous landlords out here who until now have had their way with low income tenants.

  8. Luis Rodriguez November 17, 2017 at 14:04

    An the services provide advice for predatory mortgages?

  9. Mrs,Aisha Amir November 15, 2017 at 22:36

    This is very nice.

  10. Billy J Wilson November 15, 2017 at 09:20

    I am a Navy disabeld vet in Fort Worth , Tx , my problem is I am not a homeless person but I do need help with legal advice and I do not have the funds available for a lawyer , please advise me on my situation , thanks

  11. Patricia Ross November 14, 2017 at 18:36

    Reggie,
    The Georgia Bar sponsors a military legal assistance program. We refer veterans to it frequently. They’re ALWAYS looking for folks to assist. Here’s their website: https://www.gabar.org/publicservice/militarylegalassistance.cfm

    Trish Ross (USAF, Ret)
    Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center
    http://www.gavectr.org

  12. Reggie Dunbar II November 13, 2017 at 16:00

    I serve on the Community Advisory Board of a very large legal organization in my city.

    I would like to get our organization and the Veterans Administration to collaborate to provide legal services to veterans.

    Thanks
    Reggie Dunbar II
    CAB Member
    Atlanta Legal Aid Society
    Atlanta GA

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