New attorney general program provides free legal help for troops

From staff and wire reports

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015 | 12:29 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Attorney General Adam Laxalt announced today that 150 lawyers in Nevada each have agreed to provide at least 10 hours of free legal services to military members.

At a news conference in Carson City, Laxalt marked the debut of the Office of Military Legal Assistance, which is believed to be the first attorney general-led program in the country that connects military members and veterans to pro bono legal services.

The service will be provided to troops who cannot afford a lawyer in civil cases. Laxalt, a former Navy officer, said he wants to make Nevada the “most military friendly state” in the nation.

“The Office of Military Legal Assistance is dedicated to addressing the legal gaps in representation for our current military service members,” Laxalt said.

Military personnel seeking assistance should contact their local JAG for a referral, while veterans should contact the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Laxalt announced in February that he’d assembled an advisory committee for the program that included representatives from the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, military bases in the state and several Nevada bar associations.

Under pilot program status, the initiative has already taken up the cases of nearly 30 service members, including one who said a lawyer working pro bono helped stave off an impending eviction.

Nevada elected officials have praised the initiative, which Laxalt’s office is already sharing with attorneys general in other states in hopes of expanding the concept.

“This innovative program should serve as an example to the rest of the country on how to get military communities the legal representation they need on issues, which, in many cases, may arise as a result of service to our nation,” said Nevada Republican Rep. Mark Amodei.

Las Vegas Sun reporter Cy Ryan and Associated Press reporter Michelle Rindels contributed to this report.