October 23, 2007

Michigan Program Offering Free Legal Services To Military Personnel Receives Grant

A program offering free legal services to individuals deploying to and returning from military service in the Middle East has received a $2,000 grant from the Ingham County Bar Foundation.

Service to Soldiers: Legal Assistance Referral Program, a program organized by the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, will use the funds to develop needed materials and provide transportation for military personnel to consultation events. 

The program offers one-on-one consultations between military personnel and Cooley professors to discuss non-military legal issues. Should legal services be needed, the Cooley professor matches the individual with a local attorney – mostly from a network of Cooley graduates who are volunteering their time to help these soldiers. The selected attorney(s) provide counsel concerning all aspects of a legal issue, including possible representation in court, all free of charge. Soldiers who are preparing to be deployed to the Middle East are assisted with the development of wills and powers of attorney.

Since the program’s inception in May, more than 130 servicemen and women have sought legal counsel through the program and 100 have taken legal action. Action has concluded on 80 cases, and several more are currently in the court system. The program is available throughout Michigan when requested by a unit’s leadership.

“The program has been a huge benefit to military personnel who need legal assistance,” said Heather Spielmaker, Cooley Law School’s Assistant Director of Service and Professionalism Programs. “Its success has us searching for ways to expand the program to additional military groups in Michigan in the coming months.”

Attorneys interested in providing pro-bono services to military personnel with non-military legal issues through the program should contact Spielmaker at (517) 371-5140 ext. 4112.

Founded in 1972, Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the country. Cooley has three locations across Michigan; its campus in downtown Lansing, its downtown Grand Rapids campus, and its Oakland County campus. In addition to the Juris Doctor program, students at Cooley can also pursue a Master of Laws degree in taxation or intellectual property.