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Each year, November 11 marks Veterans Day, an opportunity to recognize the contributions of our military service men and women, and honor the sacrifices they have made along the way.
Now in its second year, students participating in the Law School’s Veterans Law Practicum are living this commitment, not just one day, but 365 days a year.
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The Veterans Law Practicum at Cornell Law School provides comprehensive legal support to veterans in upstate New York. Launched in the fall of 2023, the practicum aims to bridge the significant gap in legal services available to veterans, particularly in areas such as benefits appeals, discharge upgrades, and housing-related issues.
Under the supervision of a full-time staff attorney and adjunct professors, law students offer legal information, advice, and representation to veterans, ensuring they receive the benefits and support they deserve.
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Building on the momentum of the practicum’s launch in 2023, this year’s practicum attracted a record 20 applicants! This fall, 10 of those students are already hard at work, collaborating with veterans throughout our local and regional community to address dire issues like veteran homelessness and housing insecurity, as supported by a new VA grant.
To date, students have gained real hands-on experience working on cases related to:
Last year, our practicum conducted 120 intakes, opened 67 cases, and helped 58 veterans – but we can do even more!
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Your gift today would direct funds to areas that would:
Every gift impacts a life – both of our student learners and the veterans we owe so much to.
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Help us spread the word! Your gift will support essential, operational costs like printing high-quality flyers, as well as purchasing event materials and supplies like legal information stock cards for our students.
You can cover the cost of transportation for students traveling to meet with current and prospective clients in five local counties and allow the flexible funds for students to attend panels, events, or conferences outside of Ithaca.
This year, our practicum saw a record number of student applicants. Your gift today will help us build an infrastructure that can support more passionate law students, and impact more local veterans.
Your gift will allow our students to take on more complex and varied cases outside of the scope of current grant funding, expanding our impact to address cases like child custody, wills, and discharge appeals and upgrades.
Your gift will help our practicum expand our staff to include more staff attorneys, graduate fellows, and the administrative support to handle a larger case load.
At this time, the Veterans Practicum is funded by a generous grant. With your help, we can expand the practicum into a stable, annual clinic. Your gift will ensure maximum impact in the local veterans community.