Veterans Pro Bono Project Returns November 12
Albany Law School students and local attorneys are joining forces to aid Capital Region veterans again this year for the 2022 Veterans Pro Bono Project.
On Saturday, November 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., veterans, current service members, and their families are invited to Albany Law School for in-person, one-on-one legal consultations from a volunteer attorney.
The event is free, but register for a time slot. Some walk-ins can be accommodated.
The annual on-campus event – formerly called Veterans Law Day – is organized by students who recruit alumni and volunteer attorneys to help veterans with legal questions. Student leaders also hope the day can concurrently help law students looking to gain practical experience.
“We’ve expanded the ways 1Ls can help this year. We wanted to give them something more practical. Every client that comes in has to sign a limited scope representation agreement and we’re going to have the 1Ls explain that to the clients as a bit of extra experiential opportunity in addition to sitting in on consultations and observing,” said co-director Richard Henry ’23, a Marine Corps veteran who served from 2012-2016.
“When we see the attorneys who come out to help, it is inspiring. One day, it can be us providing the advice to veterans or different people in the community,” said co-director Marissa Hochberg ’23. “It’s also helpful to learn about the different issues veterans face, some come in with trusts and estates issues, one had a property problem. It makes you realize that this area of law is really broad.”
This year, the group partnered with the McNulty Veteran Business Center and The Legal Project to provide expanded resources including some transportation. More details here.
Participating veteran services organizations will also have information and representatives on hand in the areas of veteran benefits, housing assistance, veteran entrepreneurship, and legal expertise. They include:
- Albany County Veterans Services Bureau
- Albany Housing Coalition- Veteran Housing & Services
- Capital District Women Veterans
- DAV (Disabled American Veterans)
- The Justice Center at Albany Law School
- The Legal Project
- McNulty Veteran Business Center
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
- U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Women’s Health
- Veterans Business Outreach Center
The Veterans' Pro Bono Project is presented in memory of recent Albany Law School student, SSG Joseph Gentile. Gentile enlisted in the Army in 2003 and served in several tours overseas where he earned the Combat Action Badge and the Bronze Star. He medically retired in 2015. He met his wife Jillian, and her son Frank, in late 2015 and were married in 2018. After attending Marist College, he came to Albany Law School in 2020. He died in September 2020. His wife is a current Albany Law School student. Gentile is remembered as an adored and doting husband, loving and caring father and stepfather, he will forever be remembered for his silent strength, loyalty, strength, and selflessness.
