A free toolkit shows lawyers and justice groups how to set up veterans legal clinics
Getting out of the military is hard enough and navigating the legal system afterward can be even harder, especially for veterans with limited resources because of transition trouble and little experience in civilian courts. There are civilian lawyers who wants to help, but may not know where to start.
The nonprofit Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the country’s single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans, has released a new toolkit designed to help legal aid providers, attorneys, and community partners build and run a free veterans legal clinic.
Veterans are in dire need of legal help, according to the VA’s annual CHALENG survey. Seven of the 10 most commonly unmet needs among homeless and at-risk veterans involve legal issues. This resource includes step-by-step instructions, templates, and guidance for lawyers, firms, or community groups to build clinic programs that connect vets with comprehensive support.
In its 2022 Justice Gap report, LSC found more than three-quarters of low-income veteran households dealt with at least one civil legal problem in a single year. These are things like threatened evictions, predatory lending or other-than-honorable discharge upgrades that can block access to VA benefits.
The toolkit was developed with input from LSC’s Veterans Task Force and tested through pilot clinics in Florida, Georgia, and Arkansas. This is not just a referral, a handshake and a hearty “good luck.” It’s built around a model that emphasizes partnerships with Veterans Service Organizations and “warm handoffs,” meaning veterans don’t just get pointed somewhere, they get walked there.
“Our nation’s veterans put everything on the line in service to their country,” said Lt. Gen. David D. Halverson (U.S. Army, Ret.), co-chair of LSC’s Veterans Task Force in a statement. “This toolkit will help communities connect more veterans with the civil legal assistance they need.”
The veterans legal clinic toolkit is free and available now on the Legal Services Corporation website.
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