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For Release: Immediately
November 19, 2012
Contact:
Mark Mahoney
Associate Director of Media Services
518-487-5532
mmahoney@nysba.org
NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION URGES
IMPROVED ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICES FOR MILITARY VETERANS
The New York State Bar Association today called for providing veterans
of the U.S. military with better access to quality legal services. It
also recommended the creation of more specialized veterans courts, such
as the successful Veterans Treatment Court in Buffalo, the first of its
kind in the nation.
These are among the recommendations of the report of the Special
Committee on Veterans, which was approved by the Association’s
House of Delegates at its November 17th meeting in Albany.
“The transition from active duty to civilian life can be
difficult for some of our servicemen and women,” said Bar
Association President Seymour W. James, Jr. (The Legal Aid Society in
New York City). “Often, our veterans find themselves in need of
legal counsel, uncertain where to turn. The report sets forth a roadmap
for improving the quality of legal services available to those who have
given so much to our nation.”
The report noted a shifting understanding of the special nature of
the legal needs of many military veterans. When veterans returned from
service in Vietnam, “virtually no thought was given to providing
specialized legal services, tailored to military culture, custom or
need,” the report said. “Fortunately, history has begun to
change for our veterans.”
Although services for veterans have improved since the Vietnam era,
much more needs to done, the report said.
Today, too many veterans return home to face myriad problems related
to their service, such as losing their jobs or not being able to find
work, readjusting to civilian and family life, securing economic
assistance and military benefits, drug and alcohol abuse, medical
problems, mental health problems (including those related to
post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries); domestic
violence and homelessness. Compounding the problem is the fact that many
returning soldiers often are reluctant to ask for the help they
desperately need, viewing it as a sign of weakness.
The report cited the work of local bar associations and the creation
of specialized Veterans Courts in Erie and Monroe counties. But, the
report said, more needs to be done.
The report’s major recommendations are summarized below.
• New York lawyers increasingly are eager to assist the
veteran community. To be effective, attorneys need adequate training not
just in the law, but in military culture and how it might affect the way
veterans deal with legal issues. Ongoing education for lawyers is the
key to bridging this gap.
• Citing the success of the groundbreaking Buffalo
Veterans Treatment Court, the report advocates amending the Judiciary
Law to create new Veterans Courts where access to programs and services
for veterans is greatly enhanced. The report also recommends that the
state Legislature enact a law that would allow cases involving veterans
to be transferred from a county without a Veterans Court to a nearby
county that has one.
• The report recommends creating a panel of lawyers, under
the auspices of the State Bar’s “Lawyer Referral and
Information Service” (LRIS), to assist veterans seeking quality
legal services. One suggestion is to create a dedicated toll-free number
for veterans seeking referrals for qualified lawyers.
• The Special Committee will compile a comprehensive
statewide resource directory for veterans that identifies existing
specialized civil legal services, pro bono legal services, medical and
mental health services, Veterans Administration services, drug treatment
and housing programs.
The 43-member committee is co-chaired by Karen R. Hennigan of
Brooklyn and Michael C. Lancer of Buffalo. Hennigan, a major in the U.S.
Air Force Reserve, is an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern
District of New York. Lancer, a former military attorney who
served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, is
managing attorney at Collins & Collins in Buffalo.
The Special Committee on Veterans was created by Immediate Past
President Vincent E. Doyle III of Buffalo (Connors & Vilardo
LLP).
“As lawyers, we are honor-bound to provide our returning
servicemen and women access to the best legal services that our
profession can offer. We believe this report is an important first step
in accomplishing this,” said Hennigan.
“Veterans confront so many challenges when they return
stateside. None should ever feel that legal services are beyond
their reach,” said Lancer. “With this report, we have moved
closer to finding solutions.”
The 41-page report is available for review or download at www.nysba.org/veteransreport.
The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest
voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in
1876.
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