The Veterans Legal Collaborative is a project of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership, Three Rivers Legal Services, Florida Coastal School of Law, the Veterans Administration Clinic, and the Wounded Warrior Project.
The goal is to provide civil legal services for low-income veterans in our community. This is accomplished by identifying veterans in need of assistance through the Veterans Administration Clinic, the Wounded Warrior Project and other organizations serving our military population.
Now completing its third year, the VLC has served dozens of veterans facing a variety of civil legal matters. In 2014, Sarah Sullivan, a professor at Florida Coastal School of Law, spearheaded the project and has involved many law students in service to the military population.
The monthly VLC intake day at the Veterans Administration Clinic Downtown is an important component of the case identification process. Once a month, veterans have the opportunity to make an appointment to speak to an attorney in a 20-30 minute consultation.
The VLC brief counsel and advice day is 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the second Friday of each month. The goal of the consultation is to provide legal guidance and direction regarding the matter(s) the veteran is facing. The volunteer attorney helps to determine if the matter has merit and also whether it is a matter that the veteran may be able to resolve through self-representation.
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 VLC was a school year program. During 2017, the VLC is offering year-round service. A law firm provides four or five interviewing attorneys one Friday per year. If the firm is able to accept a few cases for follow-up, that is encouraged and very helpful, but not required.
The firms that have signed on to staff a VLC intake day in 2017 are Holland & Knight; Terrell Hogan; Akerman; McGuireWoods; Moseley Prichard Parrish Knight and Jones; Pajcic and Pajcic; Harris Guidi Rosner; Harrell and Harrell; Nelson Mullins; Gunster; Marshall Dennehy Warner Coleman and Goggin; and Adams & Reese.
In addition to the law firm volunteers, attorneys with expertise in family law or veterans benefits are also available to provide guidance. Those attorneys include: Joe Scone, Jason Odom, Jessica Dumas, Michael Stanski, Justin Drach, Charles Trippe, Aaron Irving, Susannah Collins Robinson, Levi Morris, Stephanie Sussman, Rusty Mead, Lucreita Becude, MaRia Rogers, Beth Terry and Ned Price.
In addition to the monthly brief counsel and advice day at the VA Clinic, there are group information opportunities.
On the fourth Friday of each month, a pro bono attorney provides information on a topic of interest in a classroom setting with time allocated for questions after the 45-minute presentation. Topics include military discharge upgrades; rights as a tenant; dissolution of marriage; and sealing and expunging arrest records.
Pro bono attorney presenters for 2017 include Lisette DeLeon, Refik Eller, Stephen Pitel, Aaron Irving, Sarah Sullivan, Katrina Hamilton, Jonathan Graessle, Rusty Mead, John Dyro, James LeMieux and Chris Carson.
Jacksonville and the surrounding communities are home to a large number of veterans of all military branches. Northeast Florida is home to two major military bases: Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Mayport Naval Station. Additionally, Camp Blanding (a base for the Florida National Guard and Army Reserve) is located in Starke, the Joint Training Center for the National Guard (Army/Air Force) is in St. Augustine and Wounded Warrior Project’s international headquarters is in Jacksonville.
Northeast Florida is positively impacted by our military bases and the agencies that serve and support veterans and military personnel. 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.
We have a debt of gratitude to pay. These are people we are honored and privileged to serve.
Attorneys who would like more information on the Veterans Legal Collaborative and pro bono opportunities in Northeast Florida are encouraged to contact [email protected].