Free Legal Clinic to Assist Veterans with Service-Connected VA Disability Claims to Be Held on June 4th in Charlotte and Atlanta
Monday, June 02, 2008
- Organization: Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC
CHARLOTTE, NC, MAY 6, 2008 -- Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, today announced the continuation of a firm-wide pro bono project, "When Duty Calls." Womble Carlyle will host the program in an effort to provide Charlotte and Atlanta military veterans with pro bono legal assistance with the service-connected disability claims they wish to file with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Womble Carlyle hosted When Duty Calls in its Raleigh and DC offices in 2007 and its Winston-Salem office earlier in 2008.
North Carolina and Georgia's growing population of hundreds of thousands of veterans includes numerous veterans who have suffered combat-related injuries or may have other, service-related disabilities. These veterans would benefit from legal assistance in filing their disability claims, but their opportunities for receiving it are scant.
Womble Carlyle developed When Duty Calls for the purpose of beginning to meet this need by providing a resource dedicated exclusively to assisting veterans who wish to file or re-file initial service-connected disability claims. The When Duty Calls project earned the Service to the 2007 Public Award from the American Bar Association.
When Duty Calls recruits licensed attorneys (and supervised paraprofessionals, legal support staff, and law students) to provide legal assistance to veterans on a pro bono basis, train those volunteers on the detailed process of preparing and submitting veteran disability claims, and conduct clinics to assist veterans in preparing their disability claims.
Womble Carlyle will host training sessions for attorneys simultaneously in its Charlotte and Atlanta offices on Tuesday, June 3rd, from 9:00 a.m. until 12 p.m. The firm will then conduct a day-long clinic for veterans in its Charlotte and Atlanta offices on Wednesday, June 4th, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Michael Taub, an attorney with the Philadelphia Homeless Advocacy Project who is recognized nationally for his work with disabled veterans, will lead the June 3rd seminar. Mr. Taub will make his presentation by video-conference from Womble Carlyle's Atlanta office. Cathy Hunt, and Laurie Clay of the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Winston-Salem will contribute to the seminar by video from Womble Carlyle's Winston-Salem office.
Veterans who seek legal assistance with a service-connected disability claim and are interested in scheduling an appointment during the day-long clinic on June 4th may contact When Duty Calls at Veterans@wcsr.com or leave a message with contact information at 704-350-6389 (Charlotte) or 404-888-7389 (Atlanta).
