From the beginning of our republic, lawyers have shouldered the
responsibility of representing clients whose causes were unpopular,
clients who were the underdogs against impossible odds, and clients
who were poor and unable to pay. Lawyers have extended their representation
to these clients because they believe in the sense of justice and
fair play spelled out in our Constitution.
And, just as some lawyers are standing up for their right to offer
defense to detainees, others are offering their services to this
country's service men and women who need legal representation in
civil courts. Under the American Bar Association's Operation Enduring
LAMP (Legal Assistance to Military Personnel), a consortium of
state and local bar associations have recruited volunteer lawyers
to assist service members on civil law matters. In addition, Operation
Standby, a project of the Military Law Committee of the Section
of Family Law, offers a national network of expert family-law consultants
ready to advise military lawyers on their clients' family-law problems.
With the growing number of service members deployed away from
their homes, state and local bar associations are seeing an increased
need for legal services, ranging from real estate transactions
to credit and custody issues, such as temporary guardianship of
a minor child while the parent is stationed overseas. The number
of military legal providers has not increased while the number
of service personnel and their legal problems has risen dramatically.
Helping to bridge the gap between the two is where these ABA-backed
resources enter the picture. Members of state and local bar associations
provide their services on a pro bono (for the public good) basis.
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© 2007 American Bar Association
