Washington State: Veterans Child Support Project: Helping Homeless and At-Risk Veterans with Child Support Problems - Pro Bono Opportunity

The Northwest Justice Project is seeking volunteer attorneys and law students to provide pro bono legal assistance to low-income veterans with child support problems. A free "Child Support 101" CLE will be held for volunteers at Seattle University School of Law on Friday, August 13, 2010. Registration information and other CLE and project details will be provided to those who volunteer.

Child support obligations are a barrier to housing, employment, and self-sufficiency for many homeless and at-risk veterans. Many veterans incurred these child support obligations while they were homeless, in a phase of active addiction, or otherwise untreated for a serious mental illness. For incarcerated veterans, the growing arrears from unpaid child support can be a significant barrier to reentry into the community. Many veterans may be able to reduce their child support obligations to a more manageable level and help eliminate these barriers.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the American Bar Association (ABA) are piloting a project in Seattle and eight other cities to assist homeless and at-risk veterans with child support problems. The local partners for this project include Northwest Justice Project, Open Door Legal Services, VA, DSHS Division of Child Support, and the HHS Seattle Regional Office of Child Support Enforcement.

The local partners are recruiting private attorneys to provide pro bono legal services to veterans who need assistance with their child support obligations. Services will include assessments to determine whether the veteran meets criteria for renegotiation of child support payments and assistance with modifying child support obligations and negotiating payment arrangements and adjustments for child support arrears. Experienced mentors will be available to assist volunteers in providing these services.

If you are interested in volunteering for this project, please contact Bridgette Murphy, Northwest Justice Project, 206.464.1519 ext. 615, bridgettem@nwjustice.org .

Aug 2/San Francisco, CA - Stepping up Justice for Veterans as They Stand Down

This 90-minute free CLE will examine emerging best practices such as Veteran Treatment Courts designed to help reduce criminal recidivism among current and future veterans while assisting them in obtaining supervised therapeutic treatment. The VA recently signaled its enthusiastic support of this remarkable court model by designating 153 Veterans Justice Outreach workers at V.A. hospitals to coordinate with local courts to help divert veterans with PTSD, TBI, or other clinical needs from jails or prison. 

 

Recognizing this effort's enormous potential, the ABA developed policy promoting Veterans Treatment Courts based upon emerging best practices, and this CLE will provide the tools that lawyers and judges will need in order to implement this model effectively in their jurisdictions. We will examine the full range of offenses that these courts are addressing and discuss the courts' experiences with balancing public safety with helping veterans receive therapy and support in community based settings. Panelists will also highlight model pro bono programs aimed at assisting veterans to obtain benefits as well as child support modifications, including an exciting national pilot project recently launched by the ABA, the VA and the Office of Child Support Enforcement aimed at addressing arrears which often serve as barriers to employment and housing.

 

Title:

Stepping up Justice for Veterans as They Stand Down

Monday August 02 , 2010

• By: American Bar Association
• Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
• Time Zone: Pacific Time (US & Canada)
• Location:
• Presidential CLE Centre
  Moscone Center West

  Room 3006, 3rd Floor

  San Francisco, CA
  Contact:
• Amy E. Horton-Newell
  

  ABA

  hortona@staff.abanet.org
  

  202.662.1693
• Source: CALegalAdvocates

Panelists:
Judge Stephen Manley, Veterans Treatment Court, San Jose, CA

Sean Clark, US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Coordinator, Veterans Justice Outreach, Washington, DC

Brian Clubb, National Association of Drug Court Professionals, Alexandria, VA

Antonia Fasanelli, Homeless Persons Representation Project, Baltimore, MD

Paul Freese, Public Counsel, Los Angeles, CA

ara Sommarstrom, Minnesota Justice Foundation, Minneapolis, MN

• CLE Credit Comments: Free 90 minutes of CLE

MORE:

http://www.probono.net/calendar/event.320085-Stepping_up_Justice_for_Veterans_as_They_Stand_Down

July 24 deadline for OEF/OIF PTSD vets

A July 24 deadline to opt-in to lawsuit for OEF/OIF vets discharged due to PTSD and shorted benefits is coming up fast.

That means if you qualify, NOW is the time to sign up and opt-in. If you don't, you can still sue on your own but it'll be a whole lot harder without the help of your buddies or the lawyers who are working on the case at no cost to the veterans.

You can learn about it at this website: http://www.ptsdlawsuit.com, but here are the key points:

"This website provides information about a class action lawsuit known as Sabo v. United States. This lawsuit is very important to some (but not all) veterans who were diagnosed during military service with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and then discharged from active duty due, at least in part, to their PTSD.

This lawsuit does not affect most of the tens of thousands of veterans who have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over the last 30 years. It only involves veterans who

(a) served on active duty in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force,
(b) were found by a Physical Evaluation Board to be unfit for continued service due, at least in part, to the individual's PTSD,
(c) were assigned a disability rating for PTSD of less than 50%, and, as a result,
(d) were released, separated, retired, or discharged from active duty after December 17, 2002, and prior to October 14, 2008 (regardless whether such release, separation, retirement, or discharge resulted in the individual's placement on the Temporary Disability Retirement List).

If you are one of the veterans described above, a legal notice about this lawsuit has been sent to you by the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP). You should receive this legal notice by January 29, 2010. If you receive this legal notice, please read the four categories on the left of this page and click the category that fits your case. This will describe the additional benefits you potentially could receive if you join this lawsuit.

If you are one of the veterans described above and do not receive a legal notice from NVLSP by January 29, 2010, please click on "I DID NOT RECEIVE THE LEGAL NOTICE" on the left of [the website].

To answer a few more questions that might have occured to you, the website FAQ says

• The lawyers who represent the veterans in the Sabo lawsuit are not charging the veterans a fee for their services. These lawyers have agreed not to charge you or other class members a fee if you choose to join the lawsuit.
• If you join this lawsuit, neither the Court nor a military records correction board can reduce the PTSD rating(s) that the PEB assigned to you absent fraud or unusual circumstances.

One problem that I see with all this is that there may be more than a few people with PTSD who aren't receiving their mail at any address that the government has on file. And sometimes mail gets thrown out; it's not a conspiracy, it's just the way things work. So if you think you might qualify or you know someone might qualify, you have about two weeks to contact the National Veterans Legal Services Program Sabo Class Action Litigation and see if you (or the person you know) might qualify. Why not do it now?

LEARN MORE:

• The Complaint
• The United States Court of Federal Claims (not terribly helpful at this time...)
  
   

California Law Help New "Veterans and Military" Page

California Law Help has created a new web page devoted to resources for veterans and military personnel. See it here

Current topics on that page include:

• Appeals
• Citizenship through Military Service
• Disabled Veterans
• Insurance for Veterans and Family Members
• Military Service Records and Discharge Issues
• Reservists and National Guard
• Senior Veterans
• Veteran and Military Families
• Veteran and Servicemember Rights in Housing and Home Loans
• Veterans' Benefits
• Veterans' Education and Tuition Benefits
• Veterans' Employment and Financial Rights
• Veterans' Health
• Veterans' Tax Issues
• Women Veterans  

The URL is awkwardly long but you can get there here.
Well Done!

Idaho: Continuing Legal Education in support of National Guard deploying to Iraq

The Idaho National Guard http://www.idahoarmyguard.org/  and Idaho Volunteer Lawyer Program http://isb.idaho.gov/ilf/ivlp/beahero.html  are co-sponsoring free CLE classes for volunteer attorneys to help members of the Guard who are being deployed to Iraq later this year.


The CLE will cover Military Legal Assistance, applicable statutes and regulations, and how the volunteer program will operate.

The CLE is free and materials will be distributed. Only attorneys who attend a CLE can provide Legal Assistance under this program.

Two CLE credits have been requested from ISB.

If you are interested in this unique opportunity and CLE, please contact Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) M. Lynn Dunlap (208) 734-5885 dunlaplaw@yahoo.com  or LTC David Dahle, the State Judge Advocate at (208) 272-5199 david.m.dahle@us.army.mil.

There are multiple CLE Scheduled:

June 4
Pocatello Armory

June 7
Idaho Falls Armory

July 16 and 19
Ada County Armory

August 2
Twin Falls Armory

More Information:
http://isb.idaho.gov/ilf/ivlp/pro_bono_comm.html

May 14 / Quantico, VA - Military Law Update

The Military Law Section of the Virginia State Bar has put together an outstanding Seminar where you can learn the latest on:

"Constitutional Law vs. The War on Terrorism"

"Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights"

"Ethical Issue facing Military attorneys"

Our featured speakers include:

Eric S. MontalvoMajor, United States Marine Corps (Ret)

Puckett and Faraj, PC

Courtney Wheeler Lieutenant Colonel, Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Reserve (Ret)

Ombudsman Director, Virginia Employer Support to the Guard and Reserve

Edward L. Davis Colonel, Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Reserve (Ret)

Bar Counsel, Virginia State Bar

When:

Friday, May 14, 2010

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon

Where:

Marine Corps Base Quantico,

Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS)

CLE:

3 hours with 1 in ethics (pending)

Cost:

Free

REGISTRATION FORM FOR MILITARY LAW SECTION CLE PROGRAM 5/14/10

http://www.vsb.org/docs/sections/military/Military_CLE_flier.doc

(Please register by May 7th to allow registration lists to be forwarded to the base)

Mail to:

Ms. Dolly Shaffner

Virginia State Bar

707 E. Main St. Suite 1500

Richmond, VA 23219

Or email her at shaffner@vsb.org

or Fax form to (804) 775-0501

Directions to Quantico:

Marine Corps Base Quantico is located off of Interstate 95 in Virginia, 36 miles south of Washington D.C. and 20 miles north of Fredericksburg.

From I-95: Take exit 150, Quantico/Triangle. Take route 619 east to the entrance of the base. Marine sentries assist visitors arriving at the base; visitors are issued vehicle passes and given directions to their destination. Proper identification, such as a state driver's license, is required to get onto base.

More:

http://www.vsb.org/site/sections/military-calendar/annual-program-2010/

CLE: Nuts and Bolts of Military and Veterans Law - Jan 7 in Atlanta

Probono.Net reports:

"This seminar will discuss many of the hottest topics in the area of Military Law and Veterans Law, to include employment and reemployment rights on the military side under the provisions of the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act and becoming an accredited representative for veterans' cases. The information will be presented in a nuts and bolts format.

Nuts and Bolts of Military and Veterans Law
Thursday January 07 , 2010
By: ICLE in Georgia, State Bar of Georgia Military and Veterans Law Section
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location:
The W Hotel - Midtown
188 14th Street, NE
Atlanta, GA
Map: maps.google.com
Contact:
State Bar of Georgia
Website: www.gabar.org
Military/Veterans Law Section Seminar, Thursday, January 7, 2010, 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 noon. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
PRESIDING: D. Kent Shelton, Co-Chair, Military/Veterans Law Section, State Bar of Georgia, D. Kent Shelton, P.C., Austell, GA

Melinda K. Hart, Co-Chair, Military/Veterans Law Section, State Bar of Georgia, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION: This seminar will discuss many of the hottest topics in the area of Military Law and Veterans Law, to include employment and reemployment rights on the military side under the provisions of the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act and becoming an accredited representative for veterans' cases. The information will be presented in a nuts and bolts format.
Credit: 3 CLE hours

Co-Sponsor: Military/Veterans Law Section, State Bar of Georgia
REGISTER in advance HERE.
CLE Credit Comments: 3 hours

More Information: http://www.probono.net/calendar/event.286869-Nuts_and_Bolts_of_Military_and_Veterans_Law