The Boston Bar Association is pleased to announce that Veterans Legal Services (VLS) has become a BBA sponsor, supporting the BBA’s mission to advance the highest standards of excellence for the legal profession, facilitate access to justice, serve the community at large, and promote diversity and inclusion.
Veterans Legal Services promotes self-sufficiency, stability, and financial security for veterans and the homeless through comprehensive and accessible legal service. By locating legal clinics at homeless shelters and service centers, Veterans Legal Services reaches underserved and neglected members of our society who are often reluctant to seek legal help. Veterans Legal Services serves over 400 clients per year at these clinics.
“Supporting the mission of the BBA is important to VLS because we believe that every man or woman who has served in our military deserves to have a knowledgeable, top notch advocate to fight for him or her in critical legal matters like whether the veteran has a roof over his or her head, a basic level of financial resources, or the opportunity to be present as a parent,” VLS Co-executive Director Anna S. Richardson said. “The BBA provides important continuing education, mentoring, and support to ensure that these veterans get the help they need from informed, compassionate advocates. ”
The BBA and VLS, along with Legal Advocacy Resource Center, partnered in 2011 to launch the Military and Veterans Legal Helpline to address issues that impact this population. The BBA has partnered with VLS on other initiatives to facilitate access to justice for veterans and active duty service members.
“We know that on any given night there are over 1250 homeless veterans in Massachusetts. Partnering with the BBA has enabled us to leverage the resources of the BBA membership to provide more of these veterans with the legal services they need to transition from homelessness to independent living,” Richardson said.
