The Veterans Legal Collaborative is a project of Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership, Three Rivers Legal Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic and the Wounded Warrior Project.
The goal is to provide civil legal services for low-income veterans in the community.
This is accomplished by identifying veterans in need of assistance through the VA Clinic, the Wounded Warrior Project and other organizations serving the military population.
Moving into its third year, the VLC has helped dozens of veterans facing a variety of civil legal matters.
Professor Sarah Sullivan of Florida Coastal School of Law spearheaded the project and has involved many law students.
The monthly VLC intake day at the VA Clinic in Downtown is an important component of the process. Veterans can make an appointment to speak to an attorney in a 20- to 30-minute consultation on the second Friday of each month.
The goal is to provide legal guidance and direction regarding matters the veteran is facing. The pro bono attorney helps determine the merit of the issue and whether the veteran may be able to resolve it as a pro se litigant.
If representation is recommended, a case may be opened for possible placement with an attorney.
The interviewing attorney may agree to assist further or the case may be referred to a Florida Coastal Experiential Learning Clinic, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership, Three Rivers Legal Services or to a social services agency.
During its first two years, the effort was a school-year program. For 2017, it will be offered year-round.
Two more law firms are needed for June and August. The firm provides four to five interviewing attorneys from 11:30 a.m-1:30 p.m. on one Friday per year.
If the firm is able to accept a few cases for follow-up, that is helpful, but not required.
The firms that have signed on to staff an intake day for 2016-17 are Holland & Knight, Terrell Hogan, Akerman, McGuireWoods, Moseley Prichard Parrish Knight & Jones, Pajcic & Pajcic, Harris Guidi Rosner, Harrell & Harrell and Adams & Reese.
In addition to the monthly brief counsel and advice day at the VA Clinic, there also are group information opportunities.
On the fourth Friday of each month, a volunteer attorney provides information on different topics during a 45-minute classroom presentation.
There is time for questions after the presentation.
Topics include military discharge upgrades, tenant rights, dissolution of marriage and sealing and expunging arrest records.
Firms interested in staffing one intake day per year and attorneys interested in serving as presenters at the monthly event, should contact Kathy Para at [email protected].
Jacksonville and the surrounding communities are home to a large number of veterans.
Northeast Florida is home to two major military bases, Jacksonville Naval Air Station and Mayport Naval Station.
Additionally, Camp Blanding (Florida National Guard and Army Reserve) is in Starke and the Joint Training Center for the National Guard (Army/Air Force) is in St. Augustine.
Wounded Warrior Project’s international headquarters are in Jacksonville.
“Northeast Florida is positively impacted by our military bases and the agencies that serve and support veterans and military personnel,” Sullivan said. “We are a grateful nation and our legal community has the skills, resources and commitment to ensure that veterans who make Jacksonville their home have the ability to thrive.
“Many of us believe that we have a debt of gratitude to pay. These are people we are honored and privileged to serve,” she said.