Pennsylvania offers several options for Legal Assistance for Military Personnel and their families. All of the participating organizations would welcome additional volunteers to assist in providing service to members of our armed forces and their families. Details on the programs and how to volunteer are listed below.

General Information on Legal Assistance for the Military from the American Bar Association, including information on several CLE programs offered to volunteers by the ABA, may be found at:
http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/lamp/home.html



Pennsylvania Bar Association

The Pennsylvania Bar Association has a statewide referral service in place. Assistance is provided to reservists and families in SSCRA, USERRA, and SGLI. Cases in the system are reviewed by JAGC lawyer. Free CLE training materials are available to volunteers.

For more information and to volunteer, contact:

David Trevaskis
100 South Street
Harrisburg, PA 17108-0186
800/932-0311 ext. 2236
Fax: 717/238-2342
Marcy.mallory@pabar.org



Allegheny County Bar Association

The Allegheny County Bar Association offers free legal consultations to the immediate family members of military personnel (including National Guard and U.S. Reserves), who are Allegheny County residents and who have been called to active duty as a result of the present conflict with Iraq.

The program, which is intended to complement services provided by the military branches, is being coordinated through the law offices of Timothy P. O'Brien, Esquire, an ACBA member and a retired major, assistant staff judge advocate, 28th Infantry Division (Pennsylvania Army National Guard).

Immediate family members can call the O'Brien Law Offices at 412-232-4400. They will then be referred to an attorney who specializes in the applicable area of the law and will receive a free one-hour consultation. The program will continue as long as the military family member is on active duty, and it is an extension of the service that the ACBA offered during the Gulf War.

Additional details on the program are at:
http://www.acba.org/ACBA/headlines/freeservicemilitary.shtml



Philadelphia Bar Association

Through the Military Assistance Program, volunteer attorneys provide free legal assistance, regardless of the income of the service man or woman. Areas of law include SSCRA, USERRA, SGLI, wills and estate planning, debtor/creditor, employment, consumer, housing, domestic, immigration and taxes. In addition to the telephone number listed below, clients may call a special toll free number: 877/302-3588.

Family members of deployed and mobilizing military personnel are eligible for the same services through the Military Assistance Program, regardless of income.

All volunteer attorneys must be licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and carry legal malpractice insurance.

Additional details may be found at: http://www.philabar.org/about/news/newspage.asp?newsid=1425583272003

For more information and to volunteer, contact:

Charles Klitsch
1101 Market Street, 11th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215/238-6388
lris@philabar.org