Delaware Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP)

The legal community in Delaware provides Legal Assistance to Military Personnel in a variety of ways.

For the Warrior Community

Active duty service members may wish to go first to Armed Forces Legal Assistance's online database to "locate active duty legal activities offering general legal services within the continental United States". While checking Delaware shows no such offices, there are several in Maryland, Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.

General-Purpose Resources

Servicemembers, veterans and their families are of course eligible to use the same resources as anyone else.

• Delaware Legal Link is a good, general-purpose place to start looking for law help in Delaware
• The Delaware Bar Association host a lawyer referral service and a limited pro bono legal assistance program
  

Private Practice Attorneys

Typically, a lawyer in private practice will listen to your situation for 15 or 20 minutes, then give you an idea about how to proceed, in general terms, without charging you. If the matter is something the lawyer can help you with, but must charge for, sometimes you can work out a military-family discount, especially if you are easy to work with. The Findlaw website has a city-by-city list of lawyers in Delaware who are interested in representing active-duty military personnel, military reservists, and veterans here.

For Lawyers

The Delaware State Bar Association does not seem to have a committee nor section directed at service to our servicemembers, veterans or their families. Forming one might be a leadership opportunity! Meanwhile, DSBA does host some volunteer programs you may wish to join.

It is likely that there are other Delaware programs, sponsored by local bar associations, law schools, and others. Anyone with more information on these or other programs are invited to contact me; the most convenient way is to add in a comment below. The purpose is service!

---

See also

• ABA Military Pro Bono Project
• State-by-state list of LAMP programs

The Blue Star/Gold Star Flag Act of 2009 (H.R. 2546)

The purpose of the The Blue Star/Gold Star Flag Act of 2009 (H.R. 2546) is "To ensure that the right of an individual to display the Service flag on residential property not be abridged."

For those who are new to the terms, the Blue Star Service Flag was created to display on the house of families who have a member serving in our Armed forces. If the service member died, it became customary to replace the Blue Star with a Gold Star. It is an indoor flag, displayed to be visible outside. Currently, rules such as condominium rules may prohibit the reasonable display of Blue Star/Gold Star indicia, e.g. a service flag.

On May 21, the bill was introduced by Congressman (and Iraq veteran) John A. Boccieri (OH-16)  and as of today (Memorial Day) it has no co-sponsors (which may not be unusual since it's been only 4 days).In my opinion, this appears to be a relatively minor, yet helpful, change to the law, that might slightly inconvenience some people (e.g. the neighbors of Blue Star/Gold Star families) but would provide a not-insignificant benefit to the families of servicemembers. I hope you will consider contacting your congresscritters concerning prompt action.

• Bill Text 
• Bill Status on Gov Track
  
• Contact your Representative 
• Contact your Senators

Thanks to VoteVets for alerting me to this; consider signing their petition!

Florida Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP)

The legal community in Florida provides Legal Assistance to Military Personnel in a variety of ways.

For the Warrior Community

Active duty service members may wish to go first to Armed Forces Legal Assistance's online database to "locate active duty legal activities offering general legal services within the continental United States". Here is the list for the state of Florida.

General-Purpose Resources

Servicemembers, veterans and their families are of course eligible to use the same resources as anyone else.

• FloridaLawHelp.org is a good, general-purpose place to start looking for law help in Florida

Private Practice Attorneys

Often, a lawyer in private practice will listen to your situation for 15 or 20 minutes, then give you an idea about how to proceed, in general terms, without charging you. If the matter is something the lawyer can help you with, but must charge for, sometimes you can work out a military-family discount; there are no guarantees however. The Findlaw website has a city-by-city list of lawyers in Florida who are interested in representing active-duty military personnel, military reservists, and veterans here.

The Florida Bar Association has a Lawyer Referral Service and a list of similar services run by local bar associations; each has slightly different referral rules and some may charge a fee.

For Lawyers

The Florida Bar Association has a Standing Committee on Military Affairs

"The scope and function of the Military Affairs Committee is twofold: first, to gather and disseminate information, share expertise and advise the members of the Bar on all matters relating to the practice of military law in Florida, and second, to have general jurisdiction regarding any problem which may arise relative to the provision of legal services to, for, or by members of the military establishment. Its function shall be to address issues unique to representation of military members and their families in both civil and criminal matters arising within the State of Florida. Further, the committee will consider all possible means of enhancing or increasing the cooperation and communication between the local bar, the legal offices, and the judge advocates of the various military installations within the state.

Florida Bar members who have ever served in the U.S. military are asked to complete a short online questionnaire. Information collected will be used by the Military Affairs Committee to recognize service and tap expertise in program development for lawyers in active service as well as veterans."

It also invites attorneys interested in volunteering for a pro bono project or pro bono service to visit FloridaProBono.org

It is likely that there are other Florida programs, sponsored by local bar associations, law schools, and others. Anyone with more information on these or other programs are invited to contact me; the most convenient way is to add in a comment below. The purpose is service!

---

See also

• ABA Military Pro Bono Project
• State-by-state list of LAMP programs

Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009 (HR 2254, 111th Congress)

What's the Problem?

For you younger kids, Agent Orange was a poison we sprayed on Vietnam to make it harder for the enemy to hide in the jungle.

Problem is, the poison got on our guys too and causes all sorts of problems. Since they were essentially wounded in service, the surviving veterans deserve care for their wounds.

Problem is, some of the wounded were "Blue Water Navy". Those supply ships carrying the poison wouldn't necessarily touch shore, just pull up and dump stuff off. The sailors who didn't set foot in Vietnam got exposed all the same in the normal course of handling the poison.

Problem is, when the Blue Water Vets try to get help for their injuries, the Courts ruled in Haas vs. Peake that they are Shucks-Out-Of-Luck. The reasoning is crazy .... the Court says it's just TOO HARD to figure out whether a ship came close to Vietnam; the Court never having heard of a ship's log.

What's the Solution?

The Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009 is to fix this maddening injustice. If you have a yellow ribbon on your SUV, you'd better call your congresscritter to support this thing ... before the Blue Water vets are all dead and you can just wax sentimental.

According to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs:

Congress Must Act to Restore Earned Benefits to All Vietnam Veterans – Including “Blue Water” Vets!
May 8, 2009

Washington, D.C. – House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) announced the introduction of H.R. 2254, a bill to restore equity to all Vietnam veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange.

“We owe it to our veterans to fulfill the promises made to them as a result of their service,” said Chairman Filner (D-CA). “If, as a result of service, a veteran was exposed to Agent Orange and it has resulted in failing health, this country has a moral obligation to care for each veteran the way we promised we would. And as a country at war, we must prove that we will be there for all of our veterans, no matter when they serve. The courts have turned their backs on our veterans, but I believe this Congress will not allow our veterans to be cheated of their earned benefits.”

H.R. 2254 would clarify the laws related to VA benefits provided to Vietnam War veterans suffering from the ravages of Agent Orange exposure. In order to try to gain a better military vantage point, Agent Orange, which we now know is a highly toxic cocktail of herbicide agents, was widely sprayed for defoliation and crop destruction purposes all over the Vietnam War Battlefield, as well as on borders and other areas of neighboring nations. It was also stored on U.S. vessels and used for vegetation clearing purposes around U.S. bases, landing zones and lines of communication.

Currently, VA requires Vietnam veterans to prove a “foot on land” occurrence in order to qualify for the presumptions of service-connection for herbicide-exposure related illnesses afforded under current law. This issue has been the subject of much litigation and on May 8, 2008, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals upheld VA’s overly narrow interpretation and the Supreme Court later denied certiorari essentially affirming this ruling. However, Congress clearly did not intend to exclude these veterans from compensation based on arbitrary geographic line drawing by VA.

H.R. 2254 is intended to clarify the law so that Blue Water veterans and every service member awarded the Vietnam Service medal, or who otherwise deployed to land, sea or air, in the Republic of Vietnam is fully covered by the comprehensive Agent Orange laws Congress passed in 1991. If enacted, this bill will make it easier for VA to process Vietnam War veterans’ claims for service-connected conditions that are linked to toxic exposures during the Vietnam War and that are identified in current law.

Chairman John Hall leads the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, the subcommittee with jurisdiction over these issues. He stated, “With this legislation, Congress will leave no doubt that the ‘Blue Water Navy’ and all combat veterans of Vietnam are intended to be covered and compensated; thus ensuring that these veterans will receive the disability benefits they earned and deserve for exposure to Agent Orange. This is the cost of war. We asked these brave men and women to fight for us and serve their country, and it is a grave injustice that they have had to wait this long for treatment. We must place care of our soldiers among our top priorities. This applies for all past, present, and future conflicts.”

“Time is running out for these veterans,” concluded Chairman Filner. “Many are dying from their Agent Orange related diseases, uncompensated for their sacrifice. There is still a chance for America to meet its obligations to these noble veterans. I will work with my Congressional colleagues to provide the earned disability benefits and health care to the thousands of Navy blue water veterans and survivors that earned this care in battle.”

(full press release)

What's can Little Old Me Do?

• Call your Congresscritter; you can get the 800 number at www.callcongress.orgAsk your Representatives whether they support the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009; if they do, thank them nicely; if they don't, ask why not? Letters o.k. too, but take too long to get through the anthrax screening; emails are better than nothing but are so easy to do that they lack punch. A phonecall to your rep's local office might be good too.
• Read the Text of the bill
• See who's sponsoring it and what the bill status is on GovTrack
• Pick apart the idiotic court decision that lead to denying health care to injured "Blue Water" veterans: Haas vs. Peake
• Remember, HR 2254 appears to be a re-start of the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2008, but let's hope the new Congress can get'r'done this time
• Learn more about Agent Orange and the Blue Water Navy.

New Jersey Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP)

The legal community in New Jersey provides Legal Assistance to Military Personnel in a variety of ways.

For the Warrior Community

Active duty service members may wish to go first to Armed Forces Legal Assistance's online database to "locate active duty legal activities offering general legal services within the continental United States". Here is a list for the state of New Jersey.

Servicemembers and Veterans alike may find a lot of resources with the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, such as a Veterans Guide, link to Service Offices, lots of forms, and more.

The New Jersey Bar Association has organized a remarkable Military Legal Assistance Program, as follows:

---

"The Military Legal Assistance Program is a pro bono program established by the New Jersey State Bar Association, through its Military Law and Veterans' Affairs Committee, in conjunction with McCarter & English, L.L.P. This program provides free legal assistance to eligible military personnel.

To be eligible for the program you must:

• be a New Jersey resident;
• be a member of the reserve components of the armed forces (Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Navy Reserve, Marine Corp Reserve, etc.); and
• have been called to active duty and deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001.

The Military Legal Assistance Program offers legal assistance to eligible military personnel in three areas:

• Family Law
• Employment Law
• Debtor-Creditor Law

Please call 888-541-1900 to request assistance. If you are eligible for assistance, your case will be referred to a volunteer who can assist you with your specific legal issue."

---

General-Purpose Resources

Servicemembers, veterans and their families are of course eligible to use the same resources as anyone else.

• Find Legal Help.Org has a good, general-purpose Consumers' Guide to Legal Help / New Jersey
• New Jersey Legal Services offers a toll-free hotline.
  

Private Practice Attorneys

Typically, a lawyer in private practice will listen to your situation for 15 or 20 minutes, then give you an idea about how to proceed, in general terms, without charging you. If the matter is something the lawyer can help you with, but must charge for, sometimes you can work out a military-family discount, especially if you are easy to work with. The Findlaw website has a city-by-city list of lawyers in New Jersey who are interested in representing active-duty military personnel, military reservists, and veterans .

New Jersey county bar associations have set up over 20 Lawyer Referral Services.

For Lawyers

The New Jersey Bar Association (through its Military Law and Veterans' Affairs Committee, in conjunction with McCarter & English)

established a Military Legal Assistance Program to help New Jersey residents who have served overseas as active duty members of reserve components of the armed forces after September 11, 2001.

To learn more and/or volunteer, contact the program here.

You may also find many pro bono opportunities through Pro Bono NJ.org/ especially through its pro bono opportunities guide.

It is likely that there are other New Jersey programs, sponsored by local bar associations, law schools, and others. Anyone with more information on these or other programs are invited to contact me; the most convenient way is to add in a comment below. The purpose is service!

---

See also

• ABA Military Pro Bono Project
• State-by-state list of LAMP programs

Delaware Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP)

The legal community in Delaware provides Legal Assistance to Military Personnel in a variety of ways.

For the Warrior Community

Active duty service members may wish to go first to Armed Forces Legal Assistance's online database to "locate active duty legal activities offering general legal services within the continental United States". While checking Delaware shows no such offices, there are several in Maryland, Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.

General-Purpose Resources

Servicemembers, veterans and their families are of course eligible to use the same resources as anyone else.

• Delaware Legal Link is a good, general-purpose place to start looking for law help in Delaware
• The Delaware Bar Association host a lawyer referral service and a limited pro bono legal assistance program
  

Private Practice Attorneys

Typically, a lawyer in private practice will listen to your situation for 15 or 20 minutes, then give you an idea about how to proceed, in general terms, without charging you. If the matter is something the lawyer can help you with, but must charge for, sometimes you can work out a military-family discount, especially if you are easy to work with. The Findlaw website has a city-by-city list of lawyers in Delaware who are interested in representing active-duty military personnel, military reservists, and veterans here.

For Lawyers

The Delaware State Bar Association does not seem to have a committee nor section directed at service to our servicemembers, veterans or their families. Forming one might be a leadership opportunity! Meanwhile, DSBA does host some volunteer programs you may wish to join.

It is likely that there are other Delaware programs, sponsored by local bar associations, law schools, and others. Anyone with more information on these or other programs are invited to contact me; the most convenient way is to add in a comment below. The purpose is service!

---

See also

• ABA Military Pro Bono Project
• State-by-state list of LAMP programs

Arkansas Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP)

The legal community in Arkansas provides Legal Assistance to Military Personnel in a variety of ways.

For the Warrior Community

• Active duty service members may wish to go first to Armed Forces Legal Assistance's online database to "locate active duty legal activities offering general legal services within the continental United States". Look up Arkansas here
• The Arkansas Bar Association has a Legal Guide for Arkansas Veterans (PDF), and lots of other useful material, on its Publications for the Public page
• ArkansasVeterans.com offers a Legal Assistance Locator in the left column of its Legal Assistance page.

General-Purpose Resources

Servicemembers, veterans and their families are of course eligible to use the same resources as everyone else.

• Arkansas Legal Services Partnership is a good, general-purpose place to start looking for law help in Arkansas. It hosts a online law library, a Foreclosure Prevention web page, some free legal services to low-income Arkansans in non-criminal cases (ranging from family to consumer and housing to individual rights cases), and other resources.

Private Practice Attorneys

Typically, a lawyer in private practice will listen to your situation for 15 or 20 minutes, then give you an idea about how to proceed, in general terms, without charging you. If the matter is something the lawyer can help you with, but must charge for, sometimes you can work out a military-family discount, especially if you are easy to work with.

• The Arkansas Bar Association has a Lawyer Finder you can use to search by geographical location and type of law. For example, you can pick "Veterans Law" and your city or county: try it here.
• The Findlaw website has a city-by-city list of lawyers in Arkansas who are interested in representing active-duty military personnel, military reservists, and veterans here.

For Lawyers

• If you are interested in practicing Veterans' Law or other relevant specialties, make sure that the Arkansas Bar Association and Findlaw have you in their lists (above).
• The Arkansas Bar Association has Lawyers Assisting Military Personnel committee which "[a}ssists the Association in providing legal services specific to the needs of veterans of the United States Military as well as active and reserve personnel and their families." More information here. In 2001 it set up a Military Assistance Task Force which I'm having trouble locating on the website.
• Arkansas Legal Services helps qualifying servicemembers and veterans; an excellent example is here.

It is very likely that there are other Arkansas programs, sponsored by local bar associations, law schools, and others. Anyone with more information on these or other programs are invited to contact me; the most convenient way is to add in a comment below. The purpose is service!

---

See also

• ABA Military Pro Bono Project
• State-by-state list of LAMP programs

Massachusetts Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP)

The legal community in Massachusetts provides Legal Assistance to Military Personnel in a variety of ways.

For the Warrior Community

All Members

The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office provides a free Veterans' Resource Guide, "one central location where you can find information about resources available to veterans, military service members, and their families." It's over 100 pages of helpful legal and other information focused on one topic:

"If you are a veteran or are currently serving in the United States Military, including the National Guard or Reserves, there are laws designed to protect you against discrimination in employment, help you avoid credit or foreclosure problems, and maximize your healthcare, disability, and education benefits."

Get it here.

Active Duty

Active duty service members may wish to go first to Armed Forces Legal Assistance's online database to "locate active duty legal activities offering general legal services within the continental United States". Here is a list of AFLA offices in Massachusetts.

Veterans

• State-sponsored Veterans Service Benefits (hosted by MassLegalHelp)
• Statewide Advocacy for Veterans' Empowerment (SAVE): advocates for veterans who for what-ever reason are not able to obtain the benefits they have earned
• Veterans' Resource Guide: from Massachusetts Attorney General's Office
• Veterans Service Agents

General-Purpose Resources

Servicemembers, veterans and their families are of course eligible to use the same resources as anyone else.

• MassLegalHelp is a good, general-purpose place to start looking for law help in Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Legal Services has a handy, map-based system for locating a nearby legal aid provider
• Massachusetts Bar Association hosts a lawyer referral service and a monthly Dial-A-Lawyer program
  

Private Practice Attorneys

Typically, a lawyer in private practice will listen to your situation for 15 or 20 minutes, then give you an idea about how to proceed, in general terms, without charging you anything. If the matter is something the lawyer can help you with, but must charge for, sometimes you can work out a military-family discount, especially if you are organized and easy to work with. The Findlaw website has a city-by-city list of lawyers interested in representing active-duty military personnel, military reservists, and veterans here.

For Lawyers

• The Massachusetts Bar Association does not appear to have a section or committee focussed on legal assistance to military personnel; its Access to Justice Section may be the nearest match. 
• MBA's Volunteer Opportunities Menu refers to assisting veterans with legal issues. If someone can get me more information on this, I'll gladly add it to this post.

It is very likely that there are other Massachusetts programs, sponsored by local bar associations, law schools, and others, through which lawyers and other legal services professionals can help our warrior community. Anyone with more information on these or other programs are invited to contact me; the most convenient way is to add in a comment below. The purpose is service!

Massachusetts-Specific Statutes

• 108 CMR: The Department of Veterans’ Services is governed by Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR) section 108.
• MGL Ch.115: The Department of Veterans’ Services programs are governed by Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 115.

---

See also

• ABA Military Pro Bono Project
• State-by-state list of LAMP programs

West Virginia Volunteer Lawyers Needed for June 6 Deployment Readiness Event

West Virginia lawyers are needed to help the 363rd Military Police Company prepare for deployment, at an June 6 event at Camp Dawson.

Event organizer Attorney Matt Thorne, a veteran of the 363rd, says the deploying servicemembers need expert assistence with wills, powers of attorney and the like:

"We need as many lawyers that are willing to travel to the unit on June 6th to finish the work for the unit that is preparing to deploy. 

If there is anyone interested, please have them email me at matthew.t.thorn@gmail.com for more information."

At an earlier deployment readiness event Sergeant Troy Webber expressed the feelings of the servicemembers being assisted:

"Anytime when you go into a situation where you're putting your life on the line, whether it's here or somewhere abroad, it's always good to have your personal life situated so your family members and loved ones are taken care of."

Attorney Natalie Sal agreed:

"It's never easy to have one of your loved ones going overseas and putting their lives at risk. At least you don't have that added component of worry on top of what is already a difficult situation."

What to do

• Volunteer by contacting event organizer Attorney Matt Thorne matthew.t.thorn@gmail.com
  
• Learn more from "Morgantown Attorneys Offer Pro Bono Legal Services to Soldiers at Camp Dawson"  by Macall Allen of The State Journal. (Some of the quotes above are from that article).  See video here
• If you can't help with this event, remember: there are more units and more deployments. Get involved!

Oregon Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP)

The legal community in Oregon provides Legal Assistance to Military Personnel in a variety of ways.

For the Warrior Community

Active duty service members may wish to go first to Armed Forces Legal Assistance's online database to "locate active duty legal activities offering general legal services within the continental United States". A query for the state of Oregon, here, does not show any offices in Oregon, but you may have some success contacting offices in neighboring Washington State, California or Idaho.

The Oregon State Bar's Military Assistance Panel may also be helpful; see its brochure (PDF).

General-Purpose Resources

Servicemembers, veterans and their families are of course eligible to use the same resources as anyone else. The OregonLawHelp.org website a good place to start; it's loaded with information!

Private Practice Attorneys

Typically, a lawyer in private practice will listen to your situation for 15 or 20 minutes, then give you an idea about how to proceed, in general terms, without charging you anything. If the matter is something the lawyer can help you with, but must charge for, sometimes you can work out a military-family discount, especially if you are organized and easy to work with. The Findlaw website has a city-by-city list of lawyers interested in representing active-duty military personnel, military reservists, and veterans here.

The Oregon page for the National Resources Directory has some useful general-audience links, such as the American Bar Association's Consumers' Guide to Legal Help - Oregon.

The Oregon State Bar aggregates information for the public here, including useful Lawyer Referral Service information.

For Lawyers

The Oregon State Bar Association's Military Assistance Panel program is designed to address legal concerns of Oregon soldiers and their families. The panel provides opportunities for Oregon attorneys to receive specialized training and offer pro bono services to active duty service members deployed overseas.

In 2009 the Oregon National Guard will face its largest deployment since World Waw Two, with approximately 3,500 troops called to active duty. Attorney should contact the Military Assistance Panel to each do our part. There is also an Special Committee on the Military Assistance Panel which may provide additional opportunities for service in support of this panel, but no section specializing in Legal Assitance for Military Personnel matters.

But Wait There's More!

It is very likely that there are other Oregon programs, sponsored by local bar associations, law schools, and others. Anyone with more information on these or other programs are invited to contact me; the most convenient way is to add in a comment below. The purpose is service!

---

See also

• ABA Military Pro Bono Project
• State-by-state list of LAMP programs

Legal Rights & Assistance page of the National Resource Directory

The Legal Rights & Assistance page of the National Resource Directory aggregates links to some law-related resources for the warrior community. While it isn't comprehensive, nothing else is either so it's someplace to start.

In addition, newly developed resources should be sure to request having their link added there, as an easy way to perform outreach. It doesn't help offering a resource if people don't know how to get it!