Veterans Conference Calls Attention to Returning Vets’ Legal Problems

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 24, 2016 -- Golden Gate University School of Law will hold its fourth Veterans Law Conference on November 3 in an ongoing effort to raise awareness of the legal, health, and employment issues veterans may face as they transition to civilian life.

Under the theme, “Reintegration and Homecoming: Welcoming Warriors and Saluting Service,” legal experts and veteran advocates will discuss the unique skills that allow for successful transitions to the civilian world.

This year’s Veterans Conference comes at a time when American Bar Association (ABA) President Linda Klein has called on the legal community to address legal issues confronting veterans, including evictions, child-custody disputes and wrongful denial of benefits. In August, President Klein launched the Veterans Legal Services Initiative to mobilize lawyers and enhance legal services for affected active-duty or former members of the military.

The Veterans Law Conference will cast light on these issues and strategies to resolve them, with keynote speeches by Renato Izquieta, supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Orange County and a member of the ABA Commission on Veterans Legal Services, and Michael Blecker, executive director at Swords to Plowshares. Guest panelists include experts from the National Guard Association of California, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Community of Veterans Engaged in Restoration program, Work for Warriors, the San Francisco Veterans Administration and the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center.

The conference is part of GGU Law’s longtime commitment to veterans’ issues through its Veterans Legal Advocacy Center (VLAC), which provides pro bono legal services to veterans seeking health care and compensation for service-related injuries.  A recent alumna who worked in VLAC, Celina Holmes-Murphy (JD 16), has just been named an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Veterans Legal Corps Fellow at Swords to Plowshares, where she will provide legal assistance to underserved veterans and their families.

As part of President Klein’s initiative this year, GGU Law Dean Rachel Van Cleave has been asked to co-chair a new ABA Committee on Veterans and the Courts focused on raising awareness among judges and lawyers of the challenges confronting veterans and strategies for achieving constructive results.

Fourth Annual Veterans Conference
Reintegration and Homecoming: Welcoming Warriors and Saluting Service
Thursday, November 3, 2016
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Honorable Lee D. Baxter Courtroom – Room 2203
Golden Gate University School of Law (GGU Law)
536 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA  94105

Registration is required and includes breakfast and three hours of MCLE credit.
To register, visit: http://alumni.ggu.edu/fourth-annual-veterans-conference
Military veterans – no charge
Students - $10
Individual tickets - $20

About GGU Law
Golden Gate University School of Law offers full and part-time law programs that blend practical skills training with legal theory to prepare students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and leaders, with the flexibility to respond to changes in the legal profession. Our mission is to produce a diverse group of graduates with the skill, judgment, and moral compass to become exceptional lawyers and socially responsible members of the global community.

Media Contacts:

Silvia Baroni, Associate Director of Communications & Media Relations
Golden Gate University 
[email protected]
415-442-6522