Placement within Oregon's Veterans' Advocacy Community
From
a community perspective, the Oregon Veterans Legal Clinic works cooperatively
with the Military and Veterans Law Section of the Oregon State Bar, the Oregon
Family Assistance Program, the eight Grantees of the Supportive Services for
Veteran Families (SSVF) Program throughout Oregon, the Veterans Affairs
Administration, the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs and its county
Veterans Services Offices, the Veterans’ Justice Project, Military OneSource,
Army OneSource, the Innocent Warrior Project, the Office of the Staff Judge
Advocate of the Oregon National Guard/Air National Guard, the Oregon State
Bar’s Modest Means and Veterans Assistance Panels, and the U.S. Army Reserve 6th
Legal Operations Detachment.
In order to provide a deeper learning experience to our students and to address the absence of comprehensive legal screening for Participants in Oregon’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Grants, we will partner with the SSVF Grantees throughout Oregon to initiate the SSVF Pilot Project: “Providing Uniform and Universal Legal Screening to All Oregon SSVF Participants.” This Pilot Project will involve OVLS screening of every new enrollee in the SSVF Program in order to identify civil legal barriers to stable and permanent housing and to identify a legal solution plan for each Participant for whom civil legal barriers are identified. Some of those referrals will be directed to the OVLC.
Because OVLC is not a “mini law firm,” its pedagogical function must take precedence. Meritorious cases that are commensurate with the students’ current level of clinical training, which do not present any impermissible conflict, and are efficacious to our underlying instruction plan will be handpicked for in-clinic representation.
As part of our pedagogical function and our underlying mission to coordinate and rally Oregon’s Legal Community around the principles of Legal Service to Veterans, we will act as a “clearinghouse” for the remainder of the screened Veterans whom we are unable to handle in-clinic and refer those cases out, when possible, to practicing pro-bono and “low-bono” attorneys throughout Oregon who are interested in representing Veterans with meritorious cases. In addition, students will lead in efforts to develop courses of instruction in-clinic to train Oregon lawyers to better understand and serve the unique legal needs of Oregon’s Veterans and their Families; students will be involved in advocating for reform of laws and regulations that impact Veterans and their families; and students and clinic staff will be encouraged to speak at local and national conferences.
Students will partner with other Veterans Clinics and law firms, when appropriate, to file amicus briefs on key Veterans issues, as well as cooperate with other Veterans Clinics to expand the range of clinical service throughout the United States.
Lastly, when appropriate, students will be given the opportunity to partner with Veterans Treatment Courts, a growing trend within the treatment court community designed to rehabilitate rather than simply punish veterans who commit criminal offenses.
In order to provide a deeper learning experience to our students and to address the absence of comprehensive legal screening for Participants in Oregon’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Grants, we will partner with the SSVF Grantees throughout Oregon to initiate the SSVF Pilot Project: “Providing Uniform and Universal Legal Screening to All Oregon SSVF Participants.” This Pilot Project will involve OVLS screening of every new enrollee in the SSVF Program in order to identify civil legal barriers to stable and permanent housing and to identify a legal solution plan for each Participant for whom civil legal barriers are identified. Some of those referrals will be directed to the OVLC.
Because OVLC is not a “mini law firm,” its pedagogical function must take precedence. Meritorious cases that are commensurate with the students’ current level of clinical training, which do not present any impermissible conflict, and are efficacious to our underlying instruction plan will be handpicked for in-clinic representation.
As part of our pedagogical function and our underlying mission to coordinate and rally Oregon’s Legal Community around the principles of Legal Service to Veterans, we will act as a “clearinghouse” for the remainder of the screened Veterans whom we are unable to handle in-clinic and refer those cases out, when possible, to practicing pro-bono and “low-bono” attorneys throughout Oregon who are interested in representing Veterans with meritorious cases. In addition, students will lead in efforts to develop courses of instruction in-clinic to train Oregon lawyers to better understand and serve the unique legal needs of Oregon’s Veterans and their Families; students will be involved in advocating for reform of laws and regulations that impact Veterans and their families; and students and clinic staff will be encouraged to speak at local and national conferences.
Students will partner with other Veterans Clinics and law firms, when appropriate, to file amicus briefs on key Veterans issues, as well as cooperate with other Veterans Clinics to expand the range of clinical service throughout the United States.
Lastly, when appropriate, students will be given the opportunity to partner with Veterans Treatment Courts, a growing trend within the treatment court community designed to rehabilitate rather than simply punish veterans who commit criminal offenses.
