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LAWYERS ADVOCATING FOR VETS HOLD RECEPTION HONORING SERVICE & SACRIFICE NOV. 9

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 4, 2010

ARLINGTON, Va. – Veteran’s Day is arriving a little early this year, with a benefit reception on November 9 from 6pm-8pm at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial to benefit the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP). The event will honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans and military families, while providing much needed support for legal advocacy services to help veterans and service members.

“We advocate on behalf of veterans and our military, so they can receive the benefits which they are entitled to under the law,” said Ron Abrams, joint executive director at NVLSP. “Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to its veterans. They volunteered to serve our country and defend it. The least we can do is care for them when they become sick or injured due to their military service, and give them the benefits they’ve earned.”

General Peter Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, will deliver the keynote address at the reception. Martha Raddatz, senior foreign affairs correspondent at ABC World News, will lead the ceremonies. Three awards will be presented to organizations supporting veterans and service members.

The Senator Daniel Inouye Award will be presented to Sesame Workshop in recognition of the organization’s work to help children in military families cope with the stress of deployment, homecomings, changes and grief through its Talk, Listen, Connect series.

The Outstanding Public Service Award will recognize the American Legion and its partnership with NVLSP to train non-lawyer advocates representing veterans, service members and their families on claims for government disability benefits.

The Pro-Bono Partner of the Year Award will recognize Morgan Lewis & Bockius, a law firm working with NVLSP on a class action lawsuit filed in 2008 to help veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and improperly denied their benefits by the military.

The benefit reception will raise much-needed financial support for NVLSP to help veterans, active duty personnel and their families with their fight to obtain the benefits they deserve for their service to our country.

NVLSP assists U.S. military veterans of all conflicts and has received hundreds of requests for help from service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. NVLSP currently represents more than 1,500 veterans and service members in cases throughout the United States.

Additional funding would mean more legal help for more veterans. “We have a small staff with a dozen lawyers specializing in military and veteran benefits, and we amplify our impact by partnering with larger law firms and other organizations,” said Bart Stichman, joint executive director of NVLSP. “But more needs to be done to help veterans struggling with a dysfunctional benefits system and coping with serious injuries from war.”

Known as a leading organization engaged in legal advocacy to ensure our veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned and deserve, NVLSP has helped veterans obtain over one billion dollars in benefits to which they are entitled under federal law.

Besides representing individual veterans, NVLSP works with more than 90 pro bono partner law firms and corporate legal departments to defend the rights of veterans. NVLSP brings lawsuits to address systemic problems in government benefit systems. NVLSP also publishes materials that empower non-lawyer advocates and lawyers to better represent service members and veterans. For more information about NVLSP, go to www.nvlsp.org.

MEDIA COVERAGE IS INVITED, PROGRAM REMARKS BEGIN AT 7PM

Media will be able to film the keynote address and awards program, which begins promptly at 7pm on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 in the auditorium at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial. Media attending the event for coverage should RSVP to ami@steppingstonellc.com.

PRESS/MEDIA INTERVIEW REQUESTS

Interviews are available with NVLSP attorneys on issues facing veterans today and current issues in the military benefits systems. Press and media interview requests should be directed to Ami Neiberger-Miller, cellular 703.887.4877, ami@steppingstonellc.com.

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