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Public: Recent News

"When Duty Calls" trainers and leadership includes, from left, Michael Taub, Tripp Greason, Craig Cannon, Jack McCoy, Ron Burke and Tim McClain.

Tuesday was a red-letter day for the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association, for it marked the first day of formal training for a new veterans’ initiative, “When Duty Calls.”

“When Duty Calls” is a statewide project designed to provide military veterans with pro bono legal assistance in the initial stages of disability claims filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It also serves as an appropriate rallying cry for North Carolina attorneys who are being asked by the YLD’s Military Issues Committee to answer their call to serve those who have served our country.

Today's training program attracted some 50 volunteers to Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston-Salem and the Research Triangle Park.

The first opportunity to do so occurred on Tuesday, May 22, at the Raleigh office of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, where the firm and the YLD hosted the first training session for attorneys. A daylong clinic for veterans will follow at the Raleigh office on Wednesday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Former General Counsel at the Department of Veterans Affairs Tim McClain of Womble Carlyle provided an introduction to the training session and clinic. Others who assisted in the training program were Jack McCoy, VBA Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Policy & Programs; Ron Burke, VA representative from the Winston-Salem regional office; and Michael Taub, an attorney with the Philadelphia Homeless Center who is recognized nationally for his work with disabled veterans.

Taub will also supervise the veterans’ clinic.

North Carolina’s growing population of hundreds of thousands of veterans includes numerous veterans who have suffered combat-related injuries or may have other service-related disabilities. These veterans would benefit from legal assistance in filing their disability claims, but their opportunities for receiving it are scant.

“When Duty Calls” was developed for the purpose of beginning to meet this need by providing a North Carolina resource dedicated exclusively to assisting veterans who wish to file or re-file initial disability claims.

Licensed North Carolina attorneys (and supervised paraprofessionals, legal support staff, and law students) have been recruited to provide legal assistance to veterans on a pro bono basis, train those volunteers on the detailed process of preparing and submitting veteran disability claims, and conduct clinics to assist veterans in preparing their disability claims.

Veterans who seek legal assistance with a disability claim and are interested in scheduling an appointment during the day-long clinic on May 23 may contact Karin Lennon at kalennon@wcsr.com or 919-755-2100.

YLD Division Director Craig Cannon of Womble Carlyle’s Winston-Salem office has served as the lead organizer for this program.