To close out National Military Appreciation Month, the Attorney General’s Office released a new resource guide today for military service members in Washington informing them of their rights and protections.
The guide includes information about state and federal laws that affect military service members in Washington and where service members and their families can go for more help or information about their rights.
“Our office wants to do everything we can to help service members and their families thrive,” said Attorney General Nick Brown. “There are many state and federal laws and programs to protect and support those who serve our country and their loved ones, but navigating them can be challenging. This guide has important information about these rights and resources.”
The guide, called Your Rights as a Service Member in Washington, is the counterpart to Your Rights as a Veteran in Washington, released in November. The Attorney General’s Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance (OMVLA) created both guides to help veterans, service members, and their families understand their rights and find resources in their community. Both guides are available on OMVLA’s website or as PDF downloads.
OMVLA connects veterans, service members, and their families with free civil legal assistance, referrals to civil legal aid and other legal services, and self-help information. Individuals who need legal help or want to learn more about OMVLA’s work can visit the newly redesigned Veterans and Military Resources webpage on the Attorney General’s website. Attorneys interested in providing pro bono assistance to veterans, service members, and their families can visit the Volunteer as a Pro Bono Attorney page for more information.
In 2017, in recognition of the significant legal needs in the military and veteran community, the Washington Legislature passed a bill establishing OMVLA for the purpose of promoting and facilitating access to free civil legal services for Washington’s current and former military service members. OMVLA’s two current staff members recruit and train volunteer attorneys, maintain a registry of available services and volunteers across the state, assess requests for legal assistance, and refer such requests to registered volunteer attorneys and legal aid providers.
For more information about OMVLA and to request free civil legal help go here.
The new resource guide for service members is available as a PDF download here and as a web version here. The resource guide for veterans is available as a PDF download here and as a web version here.
Source: Washington Attorney General’s Office
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
