Upcoming BBA Education Programs Focused on Representing Military Personnel and Veterans

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.