VAP welcomes partnerships with law firms that would like to take on pro bono cases. There is a great need for family law services, representation in housing court, and assistance with military discharge upgrades (please see more information on our clinic, below).
To learn more about partnering with us (and join the list of corporations and firms that have given their time), please send an email with “pro bono” in the subject line.
Discharge Upgrade Clinic: When servicemembers leave the military their discharge status determines what benefits, if any, they are eligible to receive. A bad discharge can be a barrier to employment, benefits, and health care. Worse, veterans with less than honorable discharges take their lives at two to three times the rate of other veterans. Many of our servicemembers are given less-than-honorable discharges due to misconduct connected to mis- or undiagnosed post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. From 2011-2015, of the servicemembers who were discharged for misconduct, 62 percent had already been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. With an Other Than Honorable discharge most vets will be turned away from the VA. We are not only punishing injury, we are cutting veterans off from the very care they need to heal.
VAP is fighting to get these veterans the resources they deserve. For firms who would like to take on cases, our hands-on approach includes a launch training and ongoing guidance, including reviewing and editing briefs and coordinating moot hearings in preparation for any DRB appearances; we also have an online resource center with videos, sample applications, and more.