In Spirit of Memorial Day, Some Videos on Veterans Services by @courtpio

Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery

Last week, I reposted a video created by the Maricopa County Superior Court. It highlighted a terrific event: the one-year anniversary of a court dedicated to veterans issues.

You can view that video at the bottom of this post.

But on Memorial Day, I was pleased to come across another MCSC video from February. It featured the activities surrounding the recent Arizona StandDown. At the event, veterans who have a variety of legal issues are able to have them addressed and resolved, all in a setting that is less intimidating than a courthouse visit.

Here is the video.

And as we watch the next video, regarding the Veterans Court one-year anniversary, it’s hard not to consider the Memorial Day that slipped by yesterday. How heartening it is to see so many members of the legal profession stepping up to create solutions to help those who have served.

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Memorial Day Marks Launch of ABA Site To Benefit Vets

Happy Memorial Day. I am hoping that you are spending some wonderful time with friends and family. That is always a high point of the Memorial Day weekend.

Somewhere in there, here’s hoping we all take a moment—or more—to remember why the holiday exists. In my job, I’ve been privileged to report on recent efforts to assist military members (see here and here). And today, there is news of a great initiative launched by the American Bar Association—its “Home Front” website that provides resources for servicemembers and their families.

Here is the concept, as described by the ABA. Please pass it on to anyone you think may benefit from it.

American Bar Association

Division for Communications and Media Relations

http://www.abanow.org

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

ABA Home Front Provides Resources for Understanding Legal Issues and Obtaining Law-Related Assistance

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 17, 2011 – The American Bar Association has launched a new website, ABA Home Front, dedicated to providing servicemembers and military families with resources for understanding legal issues and obtaining law-related assistance for the problems they face every day. This site features an Information Center, a Directory of Programs and a Military Pro Bono Center, all designed to deliver legal information and expert assistance to military families.

“Being in the military is a 24/7 commitment that takes its members and their families across the country, and around the world,” said ABA President Stephen N. Zack. “That’s where the online legal center comes in. At any time, someone can access basic information on the legal issue they’re dealing with — whether it’s a family law matter, tax question or problem with a creditor.”

The Information Center consists of easy-to-understand resources about Working with a Lawyer and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides legal protections for active-duty military and their families. The site also has a Family Law section that explains law-related implications and options in such areas as marriage and divorce, domestic violence and custody disputes.

“The center offers information on a number of legal topics,” Zack said. “We will continue to grow it in response to what servicemembers tell us they need.”

The Information Center will be expanded to include additional materials about landlord-tenant disputes, health law, immigration, contracts and leases, tax, and employment law.

The Directory of Programs can help military families find services in or near their community with state-by-state listings of legal programs and organizations. Programs can include military legal assistance offices, legal aid and pro bono organizations, lawyer referral and information services, and military-specific programs where available. Although many of the programs are pro bono, some may require payment of some costs or impose income-eligibility limits.

The Military Pro Bono Center is a resource for lawyers interested in providing pro bono representation for military members or in providing pro bono lawyer-to-lawyer consultation with military legal assistance attorneys.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

 

Veterans Day

Our November 2010 issue, with art by Val Bochkov

For this day that honors those who put themselves in harm’s way, here are a few short items.

First: Today the ASU Law School is hosting what looks like a great program for vets and their families. I posted the item yesterday; go here for more information. But don’t delay; it starts at 1:00 this afternoon.

Second: Next Monday, a job fair in Gilbert, Ariz., aims to assist veterans—though others are welcome, too. The “Hire Veterans First” fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Monday at Sun Valley Community Church, 456 E. Ray Road. More details are here.

Finally: This month in Arizona Attorney Magazine, we feature a few stories about how members of the legal community are collaborating to launch a Veterans Court in Maricopa County.

You can read the complete news item down below. But before you do that, I wanted to talk about our art this month.

Months before we created the November issue, our Art Director Karen Holub and I talked about this evolving story. She proposed that this could be a great feature for which we could commission some custom art. We have done that in the past, but you need a good combination of ample lead time and strong concept to make it work.

I agreed with Karen, and she jumped into the challenge. After much work, she narrowed the field to about five artists. We looked over their portfolios, and we found we were both drawn to work by Val Bochkov.

Bochkov has illustrated stories for many national publications, and his past experience is broad and deep. That’s why we were confident he could create beautiful work for us. What we also were to discover was that he was a pleasure to work with. More than once, Karen praised him to me, commenting how he was less interested in billing us for every alteration or addition than he was in creating work that married perfectly with the story.

We think he succeeded; I hope you agree. More of Val Bochkov’s work is here and here.

And here is our press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tim Eigo, Arizona Attorney Editor

Phone: (602) 340-7310, Mobile: (602) 908-6991

E-Mail: tim.eigo@staff.azbar.org

Campaign to Create Veterans Court the Focus of Arizona Attorney

PHOENIX – Nov. 10, 2010 – Prolonged and intense combat have increased the severity of harm done to U.S. soldiers, and the November issue of Arizona Attorney magazine features stories that explore how lawyers and judges are assisting those who have served in harm’s way.

Arizona Attorney’s special section “Homeland Justice for Veterans” includes stories that explore efforts to launch a specialized court dedicated to veterans and their needs. The first article was written by Craig Logsdon and Michelle Keogh, attorneys in the criminal defense group at Snell & Wilmer LLP.

Logsdon and Keogh chronicle a veteran’s struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its effects on his civilian life in the article “Uncommon Criminals: Why Veterans Need Their Own Court.” It leads the reader on a journey from a veteran’s time on the battlefield to the legal challenges he faces due to criminal activity attributed to his war-related PTSD. It also dissects the current justice system, reveals its disconnect with veterans, and argues why a veterans court would work.

The second article, written by Nicole Kasem and lawyer Jon Paladini, reports on the State Bar of Arizona’s commitment to addressing the legal needs of veterans through the creation of its Military Legal Assistance Committee. It is led by attorney Gregg Maxon, a retired Army General.

In the final article, Steve Gonzales, Associate Professor of Law and the Director of Experiential Learning at the Phoenix School of Law, announces two new programs housed at the law school aimed at helping veterans—the Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic and the Veterans Tax Clinic.

“Veterans have always deserved our country’s best efforts when they return stateside,” said Tim Eigo, Arizona Attorney Editor. “Conflicts in recent years have heightened the number and severity of their injuries, and the legal community is doing what it can to assist those who have served.”

The striking art for the cover and feature stories was created by nationally renowned artist Val Bochkov. It was commissioned by Arizona Attorney magazine to illustrate the November issue’s veteran-related stories.

Arizona Attorney magazine is published 11 times per year by the State Bar of Arizona. It provides articles on substantive legal issues, professional trends and feature profiles.

The full article is available here.