Highlighting its commitment to helping veterans and
military personnel with the legal challenges they face -- and training
attorneys in the most effective ways to aid these clients -- the Boston Bar Association (BBA) today
announced a new series of Continuing
Legal Education (CLE) programs. This news follows another announcement
that the BBA Lawyer Referral Service will house a Military Legal Help Line,
effective immediately.
This CLE series is designed for the express
purpose of providing special training for lawyers willing to offer reduced fee
and pro bono legal assistance to veterans and military personnel. The legal
needs presented by members of the armed forces before, during and after
deployment typically involve family law, labor and employment, Chapter 7
bankruptcy, Chapter 13 bankruptcy, trusts and estates, and education
benefits.
Registration for
any or all of these seminars is free for volunteers who serve
on one of the military panels for the BBA Lawyer Referral
Service.
The 4-part program series, called 'Representing
Military Personnel and Veterans,' will be held at the BBA's 16 Beacon Street
headquarters on the following dates:
9/26 - Family
Law and Domestic Relations
10/17 - Bankruptcy
and Consumer Finance
11/7 - Estate
Planning, Employment Law, and Landlord/Tenant Law
11/21 - Veterans
Benefits
Amid concerns regarding legal issues faced by members of the armed
forces, the Boston Bar Association several years ago initiated volunteer efforts
to provide legal support. In collaboration with the Yellow
Ribbon Project, BBA volunteer lawyers present information to groups of
service members and their families on a variety of legal issues. Volunteer
attorneys also attend the Massachusetts
'Stand Down' event, where they advise in areas including state and federal
benefits, family law, consumer debt and bankruptcy, housing, taxes, and criminal
records.