The Syracuse University College of Law is now home to the only clinic in New York state that provides free legal services to veterans.

The legal clinic, which opened Jan. 8, offers three basic services, or a three-layer approach. The services include assisting veterans in appeals to the Department of Veterans Affairs, upgrading military discharge status and giving priority access to veterans at SU’s other law clinics. The clinic would service the approximately 60,000 veterans living in central New York, said Joseph Lamendola, director of external relations at the clinic.

The first service will assist veterans in filing claims or appeals to the Department of Veterans Affairs in order to receive compensation or benefits for disability, pensions, PTSD and other traumas endured during active duty, said Josh Keefe, one of the founders of the clinic.

The second layer involves upgrading military discharge statuses from anything that is less than honorable, Keefe said.

“Veterans that are discharged punitively, so to speak, are unable to avail themselves of any health services because of the characterization of the discharge,” Lamendola said. “They are pretty much without any service assistance until they get that discharge upgraded.”

The third gives priority access to veterans at SU’s eight other law clinics: family law, bankruptcy, criminal defense, disability law, elder law, tax law, consumer law and community development, said Tom Caruso, another founder of the clinic.

“There are really nine clinics at the law school that are all working to help veterans,” Caruso said.

Caruso and Keefe started developing the Veterans Legal Clinic during their time as students at SU’s College of Law. As freshman, they created the Veterans’ Issues and Support Initiative and Outreach Network Program as well as Valor Day, an event held once per semester that offers free legal services to veterans. Valor Day would eventually become the basis for the Veterans Legal Clinic.

“The problem was that the demand was just too high and one day wasn’t enough,” said Caruso. “We were always getting calls after those days and we decided we needed something more permanent.”

The clinic has secured a $250,000 grant from the state, as well as a $50,000 grant from Onondaga County. Along with private donations, Caruso said he anticipates that the clinic will continue to remain free and open to all veterans. Law students will be staffing the clinic, along with mentors and advisers, pro bono, or free of charge.

Lamendola added that returning veterans often get the raw end of the deal.

“It’s the right thing to do. Anything we can do to give back to them is a win,” said Lamendola.

As the United States presence in Afghanistan winds down and more troops come back to enter civilian life, the number of veterans needing access to basic legal services will increase, Lamendola said.

Older veterans from the Vietnam era are also approaching the age where VA benefits, especially those relating to health, are significant, Keefe said.

Published on January 15, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact Rachel: rsandler@syr.edu