New Site Supports Georgia Lawyers Serving Service Members and Veterans

Nov. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- As Veterans Day approaches, the Georgia Legal Services Program has launched a new website to help lawyers in Georgia better serve veterans and service members in need.

In response to the growing need for legal assistance, Georgia Legal Services and the State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project teamed up to create an online resource to encourage and support lawyers in delivering critical legal help to our country’s defenders. The website is also designed to support the work of the Military Legal Assistance Program of the State Bar of Georgia, a new initiative that connects pro bono and reduced-fee lawyers with veterans and service members in Georgia.

There are more than 772,000 veterans in Georgia, and thousands more active duty service members are based there.  Many of them face legal needs outside the scope of what the military can assist with, but lack the funds for a private attorney.  Such problems might include family law, such as divorce, child custody or child support; landlord/tenant and other housing issues; disability claims; and consumer issues.  

The site, http://www.GeorgiaAdvocates.org/GAMLAP, provides lawyers with support materials, online training and other resources to help them assist veterans and service members in Georgia with civil legal problems. The site will also be used to help place specific cases with pro bono attorneys.  Visitors to the site have access to LiveHelp, a real-time, online chat service that helps guide advocates to the information and resources they need.

The Military Legal Assistance Project site is part of http://www.GeorgiaAdvocates.org, a comprehensive online resource for pro bono and legal services attorneys.  GeorgiaAdvocates.org is among a network of statewide legal aid web sites in 28 states that leverage a technology platform developed by Pro Bono Net, a national nonprofit that works to increase access to justice. Pro Bono Net helps legal aid, pro bono and court partners within the network to share new ideas and best practices, allowing innovative models of service delivery to be replicated.

“The legal problems of service members often have unique issues, and there are special federal laws that protect them in the area of employment law and consumer law, for example,” said Mike Monahan, Director of the Pro Bono Project and manager of the new Military Legal Assistance Program website.  “With the new website, we can keep the unique military and veterans law issues on the radar screen of our advocates.”

“We’re proud to have worked with Georgia Legal Services and the State Bar of Georgia on this important project,” said Allison McDermott, Deputy Director of Pro Bono Net.  “We look forward to working with other state partners to leverage their hard work so that pro bono lawyers around the country can more easily volunteer to address the needs of veterans and service members in their communities.”

Attorneys wishing to get involved in helping service members and veterans – or who are already involved in doing so - should visit www.GeorgiaAdvocates.org/GAMLAP.

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About Georgia Legal Services Program: Georgia Legal Services Program, Inc. is the largest provider of free civil legal assistance to low-income households in Georgia. The mission of the Georgia Legal Services Program is to provide access to justice and opportunities out of poverty for Georgians with low-incomes.

About the Pro Bono Project: Co-sponsored by the State Bar of Georgia and Georgia Legal Services Program, the Pro Bono Project is headquartered at the Bar and involves private attorneys in representation of the poor in civil matters. The Project develops technology and web tools to support the delivery of pro bono and civil legal aid services.