The University of Georgia School of Law’s Veterans Legal Clinic, in partnership with the Georgia Legal Services Program, has received funding from the American Bar Association to extend its work for veterans throughout the state of Georgia. 

Formed in 2018, UGA’s Veterans Legal Clinic focuses on veterans receiving benefits from Veterans Affairs and provides free legal assistance to veterans in order to help them navigate claims for pensions and compensations for service-related disabilities.

Their new partnership with the American Bar association titled “the Georgia Veterans Outreach Program”, will deliver virtual legal clinics to veterans in underserved parts of the state. There will be six clinic events that will connect veterans with volunteer lawyers for brief service and referrals using video conferencing software. 

Veterans without a phone or reliable internet can participate using program computers at venues near where they live that will be set up by GVOP. The virtual clinics will be hosted in parts of Georgia that lack veteran-specific legal assistance and will prioritize veterans in rural areas who often lack access to lawyers and legal advice.

The University of Georgia is ranked the No. 3 Military Friendly Tier I Research University in the Nation according to the 2020-2021 Military Friendly rankings. The Military Friendly Schools survey is the longest-running, most comprehensive review of college and university investments in serving military and veteran students, and for the third year in a row, UGA is in the top three schools listed. 

The GVOP will allow both the Veterans Legal Clinic and the Georgia Legal Services Program to fully realize a remote clinic system, which will improve outreach efforts to veterans statewide. The events will eliminate barriers faced with purely in-person clinics, including the health and safety concerns brought to light by the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to the Veterans Legal clinic, the University of Georgia remains committed to serving and providing online student resources and additional military, veterans and dependents resources. The Student Veteran Resource Center also provides resources that are accessible to online student veterans by email, phone, or virtual meetings. Other services provided include transition coaching, mentoring, scholarships, academic advising and career readiness counselling. 

 

Read the original article on UGA Today.