ABA Newsroom

Wills for Heroes — A Public Service Project of the Young Lawyers Division

Countless emergency first responders put their lives on the line each day to ensure our health and safety when trouble strikes. This year, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division is giving back to these brave men and women by providing them with free wills, living wills, and healthcare and financial powers of attorney as part of its 2007-2008 public service project, Wills for Heroes.

Created in response to an overwhelming need, Wills for Heroes is jointly conducted by the YLD and the Wills for Heroes Foundation, a charitable organization that works nationwide with affiliate organizations to provide free basic estate planning documents to America’s first responders and their spouses or domestic partners. An integral part of its public service project, the YLD Web site devoted to the program (http://www.abanet.org/yld/wills/home.html) contains information to help encourage and facilitate its affiliates and 140,000 members to bring Wills for Heroes to their local communities.

To date, Wills for Heroes has assisted more than 8,500 emergency first responders in 13 states. Additional programs are in development in several more including Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Wills for Heroes Program Resources:

• YLD Web site
• Video: Introduction to Wills for Heroes
  Windows Media format
  Real Player format
• Opinion Editorial: Safeguarding Our Heroes
• Article — Young Lawyers to Draft Free Wills for U.S. Park Police Officers in New York
• Article — Local Heroes Receive Aid from ABA Young Lawyers
• Article — "Giving Back To First Responders"
• Article — "ABA Young Lawyers Create Wills for San Francisco Firefighters"
• Wills for Heroes Foundation

For Further Information:
Contact Jason Fujioka at 312/988-6128 or fujiokaj@staff.abanet.org