Civil legal issues can be uniquely challenging for junior-enlisted military members who cannot afford to hire attorneys, especially when these issues can distract them from their critical missions.

They often face barriers with accessing the civil justice system, primarily due to frequent relocations that take them far away from the jurisdictions where their legal problems may arise. The ABA Military Pro Bono Project, managed by the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel, is the only national legal program that works to address this access-to-justice gap for military families by connecting military clients with civilian pro bono attorneys.

The Project accepts referrals from military legal assistance attorneys (JAGs) for a variety of civil legal issues.

Here are some ways that pro bono attorneys have provided essential assistance to military clients through the Project:

* Air Force servicemember who was physically and sexually abused by her husband received representation while deployed from a pro bono attorney to complete her divorce.

* Before a Marine deployed to Afghanistan, a volunteer attorney drafted a special needs trust to protect his disabled child's access to essential public benefits.

* After a deployed soldiers car was improperly towed in Washington and sold at an auction in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a volunteer attorney helped the deployed soldier receive a favorable settlement.

Your gift provides essential legal aid to our servicemembers, recognizing the sacrifices that military families make on behalf of us all.

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