Lawyers 4 Vets 2-Year Report

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Lawyers 4 Vets
May 2014 to May 2016

A Brief History

South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center in partnership with the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center and with additional support and coordination by Nelson Mullins Law firm created the Lawyers 4 Vets pro bono legal clinic. The clinic was specifically created to address the unmet legal needs for lower-income Veterans in South Carolina. The goal of the clinic is to focus on legal areas of need not already covered by existing programs.

Purpose

The legal clinic began May 15, 2014, and is held on the third Thursday of every month at Dorn VA in Columbia, SC. South Carolina Bar members provide pro bono legal advice or representation to Veterans living at or below 200% of the poverty guidelines. Lawyers assist Veterans with the following legal issues:

  • Expungements and pardons in SC
  • Simple wills and healthcare powers of attorney
  • Obtaining identification
  • Child support modifications
  • Consumer protection

Data Results since May 2014

1,800 Calls | As of May 2016, the toll-free appointment line has received 1,800 calls from Veterans seeking legal assistance.

600 Appts. | 600 Scheduled Appointments

364 Vets | 364 Veterans Participated in the Clinic

Ranking/Totals of Services at the Clinic

Expungements/Pardons: 218 Veterans
Child Support: 191 Veterans
Wills: 126 Veterans
Consumer: 49 Veterans
I.D.: 16 Veterans

Support

82 Volunteer Attorneys | A special thank you for the tremendous support of local law firms who staff the free legal clinic with volunteer attorneys. A sincere thank you to the local solo practitioners and those that travel far distances to counsel Veterans. Lawyers 4 Vets could not exist without the strong dedication of volunteer attorneys and their willingness to provide their time and talent to support the clinic.

Thank you to Catholic Charities for providing SLED Reports onsite at a reduced rate.

Connect

Veterans can call 877-289-6000 to be screened and make an appointment to attend the clinic.

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Download the report as a PDF