Free clinic for veterans & service members with legal needs gets large turnout in Greenwood

(GREENWOOD, S.C. ) - August 18, 2018 - Veterans from several counties got free legal help Saturday at the Greenwood Veterans Center during a V.A.L.O.R. Program clinic there. The clinic was sponsored by the SC Attorney General’s V.A.L.O.R. Program, which was announced on Veterans Day last year. V.A.L.O.R. stands for Veterans, Active & Reserve Legal OutReach.

Attorney General Alan Wilson attended the clinic and helped veterans fill out forms and get the help they needed. “The legal profession has always recognized it has a moral obligation to support those who defend the freedoms we treasure,” said Attorney General Wilson, who’s also a Colonel in the SC National Guard and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “This new program will better connect veterans and members of the military with the legal help they need and may not know where to get, or may not be able to afford.”

At the clinic, veterans, members of the Reserves, and active-duty military were able to obtain legal documents such as wills, limited power of attorney, advanced medical directives, and disposition of remains. Area lawyers volunteered to work at the clinic. The V.A.L.O.R. program also offered consultations for legal issues concerning the Service Member Civil Relief Act and USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.) SCRA addresses landlord/tenant or employment issues that come up when a service member is deployed or is not receiving lower interest rates when deployed, as required by law. USERRA establishes rights and responsibilities for uniformed service members and their civilian employers. This clinic did not offer legal representation or consultation on criminal proceedings.

The clinic took place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, August 18th, at the Greenwood Veterans Center, 106 Main St N., Greenwood, SC 29646. While the clinic was held in Greenwood, veterans, members of the Reserves, and active-duty military were also welcome from Laurens, Edgefield, Abbeville, McCormick, and Saluda counties.

For more information on this program, please visit www.SCVALOR.com or call the referral line (803)734-VETS.