For hundreds of veterans in Greater Boston and beyond, civil legal aid is a catalyst for stability. Legal services rank among veterans’ top three unmet needs, according to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. In the face of pandemic disruptions and economic turmoil, legal assistance and representation are key to veterans securing adequate and permanent housing; accessing specialized benefits; capitalizing on their full economic potential; and facilitating their financial, social, health, and domestic well-being.

Veterans Legal Services is the only civil legal aid organization in Massachusetts whose mission is dedicated to closing the civil justice gap for former military service members whose distinct and interconnected needs remain systemically underserved despite their service to the nation. VLS’s 255-member network of volunteer attorneys provides critical capacity in VLS’s fight to make access to justice more equitable and holistically support veterans in overcoming adversity and living the happy, healthy, and dignified lives they deserve.

As VLS strives to double its reach and impact over five years, it needs additional pro bono support from its partners in the Boston Bar Association community. Answering VLS’s call to service is a meaningful and rewarding way to make a difference for individual veterans, families, and communities. It also affords multiple opportunities to gain pro bono service hours while developing rich advocacy expertise across a wide range of civil law practice areas.