Military Veterans Justice Project

We all owe an enormous debt to the young men and women in our armed forces. As they return to civilian life, it is fitting that that we show our gratitude for their sacrifice and service. The mission of the Military Veterans Justice Project is to provide scholarships to students admitted to the Law School who have served in the United States Armed Forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, or elsewhere, and to provide targeted legal services to veterans who would otherwise be underserved by the legal profession.

These goals are in keeping with the Law School's mission to promote social justice and to produce graduates who will be leaders of both the legal profession and the community it serves.

Scholarships

Veterans have the leadership qualities and devotion to professionalism that make for great lawyers. But with tuition costs continually rising, and with limited support in the G.I Bill for graduate studies, veterans are hard pressed to finance an advanced degree.  One full scholarship to the day division is $40,000. A full scholarship to the evening division is $25,000.  Even partial scholarships may make all the difference for a qualified Veteran.

Military Veterans Justice Clinic

Active, Reserve and National Guard Veterans are often adversely affected by long deployments and are unaware of the legal protections that the law affords them under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. In addition, returning veterans frequently have difficulty receiving benefits to which they are entitled from the Veterans Administration. Many of these veterans can be assisted by a dedicated cadre of law school students and legal professionals.

The law school already has law student externs who provide assistance to veterans trying to navigate the VA system. A fully funded Military Veterans Justice Project would expand this service by hiring a full time faculty member who would teach a class on Military Disability Law and supervise 10-12 students per year as they assist our veterans. With sufficient funding, an expanded clinic could even assist our veterans under applicable landlord/tenant, family and consumer protection laws. A panel of pro bono attorneys could help with this effort.

The benefit of this clinic is twofold --- not only do we assist veterans, but we also train law students in an important area of advocacy.  The cost of hiring a faculty member and operating a clinic is over $150,000 per year.

How you can help:

• Fund a scholarship
• Fund the clinic

Military Veterans Justice Project Advisory Committee

Chair: Kurt Andrew Schlichter ‘94
Lieutenant Colonel, California Army National Guard

Brian Berliner ‘91
Captain, US Air Force

William Crosby ‘70

William H. Ford, III ‘71
Captain, US Army

F. Phillip Hosp ‘09
Captain, US Army

Nicholas Hutchinson ‘02

Thomas Johnston ‘00
Lieutenant, US Navy

Zenon Keske ‘01
Captain, US Marine Corps

John W. Meigs ‘78
Captain, US Army

Hal P. Mintz ‘63
Corporal and 1st Lieutenant, US Army

Alexander Tsao, ‘03
Captain, US Marine Corps

Lawrence C. Waddington
Sergeant, US Army

Marjorie Williams ‘09
Captain, US Air Force Reserve

Honorary Committee

The Honorable William P. Clark ‘54
Counterintelligence Corps, US Army