Community Legal Resources

 

In San Diego:

• Veterans Legal Clinic USD - https://www.sandiego.edu/veterans-clinic/ The Veterans Legal Clinic is dedicated to protecting and serving veterans who have made great sacrifices to protect and serve the United States. With such a high concentration of active duty military members, veterans, and their families, there is an urgent need for specialized legal assistance in San Diego.  The Veterans Legal Clinic at the University of San Diego School of Law is here to help.
• Honoring Our Troops - https://hrtroops.org/ Honoring Our Troops is a San Diego based 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing veteran transition assistance and free legal assistance. We address these unique needs of veterans through self-help legal clinics, veteran-oriented seminars, and mentorships, which in turn, empower the lives of veterans and their families.
• Veterans Legal Institute - https://www.vetslegal.com/legal-services/ Many current and former service members face true challenges transitioning into their civilian lives after their military service is over.  A large portion of the challenge’s veterans face are legal in nature, from battling with the VA over compensation and pension claims to discharge upgrades to expungement of criminal convictions preventing them from gainful employment.  To honor their service, VLI provides free legal services to low income veterans and military members in a number of critical areas which often result in real improvements in their lives.  VLI is able to leverage its legal network who donate their services pro bono thereby providing exponential service hours to its clientèle.

Nationally: 

• Chisholm, Chisholm and Kilpatrick –

   

  While VFU rarely suggests private firms, our personal experience with this company has yielded positive results for veterans and we are committed to sharing all resources available that may assist veterans and their families  http://www.cck-law.com/Kerry-Baker.shtml
• Justice for Vets

   

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  www.justiceforvets.org

   

  Justice for Vets is the National Clearinghouse for Veterans Treatment Courts.  This comprehensive website explains how Veterans Treatment Courts are hybrid Drug and Mental Health Courts that use the Drug Court model to serve veterans struggling with addiction, serious mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders.
• Lawyers for Heroes – http://www.lawyersforheroes.org/
• Lawyers Serving Warriors

   

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  www.lawyersservingwarriors.com. New website for veterans who need legal representation regarding war related issues. Has a tab that says “request free legal help”.
• Military Pro Bono Project – https://www.militaryprobono.org/ The ABA Military Pro Bono Project—managed by the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP)—accepts case referrals from military attorneys on behalf of junior-enlisted, active-duty military personnel facing civil legal issues, and it works to place these cases with pro bono attorneys. The Project is also the platform for Operation Stand-By, through which military attorneys may seek attorney-to-attorney guidance.
• National Veterans Legal Services Program

   

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  www.nvlsp.org. NVLSP is an independent, nonprofit, veterans service organization dedicated to ensuring that the U.S. government honors its commitment to our veterans and the parent organization for Lawyers Serving Warriors.
• Protect Our Defenders – www.protectourdefenders.com Honoring, supporting and giving voice to the brave women and men in uniform who have been raped or sexually assaulted by fellow service members. This organization seeks to fix the military training, investigation and adjudication systems related to sexual violence and harassment — systems that often re-victimize assault survivors by blaming them while failing to prosecute perpetrators.
• Service Members’ Legal Rights While on Active Duty –

   

  https://www.justgreatlawyers.com/legal-rights-on-active-duty

   

  This link details laws protecting service members under the Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) including tax payments, mortgages, credit cards, etc.
• The Veterans

   

  Consortium: Pro Bono Program

   

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  www.vetsprobono.org.  This group of volunteer legal advisors will review your BVA decision and VA claims file if you meet certain criteria. Go to “what we do” on the site for more information. There are also good links that may assist veterans who are filing a claim.
• Veterans for Common Sense’s –

   

  www.veteransforcommonsense.org. Their mission is to raise the unique and powerful voices of veterans so that our military, veterans, freedom, and national security are protected and enhanced, for ourselves and for future generations.
• Veterans Defense Project – www.veteransdefenseproject.org Initiated by the National Veterans Foundation, the VDP took over the writing, execution and publication of a tool that would serve defense attorneys in their efforts to provide the best services to their veteran clients suffering from legitimate combat-related issues. It was clear from the beginning of the project that material used come from outstanding experts from the legal, medical and mental health fields. That objective has been accomplished.  The book is called Attorney’s Guide to Defending Veterans in Criminal Court.