COMMANDER'S CORNER
PINE TREE LEGAL DEVELOPS NATIONAL WEBSITE FOR VETERANS, MILITARY FAMILIES
Portland, Maine - At a White House conference on access to justice today, officials announced the launch of a national website for military and veteran families with legal problems that was created and developed by Pine Tree Legal Assistance.
The website, www.statesidelegal.org, is the first site in the country to focus exclusively on the unique legal needs and rights of military and veteran families around the country. The site includes user-friendly legal information and self-help tools (including videos and interactive documents) related to common legal problems, including divorce, foreclosure, and disability benefits. The website also identifies legal referral resources available though the military, State veteran services, and legal aid programs funded by Legal Services Corporation. Information on the website is organized and searchable according to legal problem, military status, and State of residence.
"Pine Tree is honored to receive this recognition and be be part of an initiative to provide critical legal services to veterans, members of the military and their families," Nan Heald, Executive Director of Pine Tree Legal Assistance, said.
Developed with funding for the Legal Services Corporation and other sources, the site has been in developement since the fall of 2009. Pine Tree was chosen to serve as the lead agency for this project, based on its national reputation in developing other websites with high quality legal information written in plain
English, including www.ptla.org, www.helpmelaw.org and www.kidslegal.org. Arkansas Legal Services Partnership and legal experts in Maine and around the country have also contributed content to the website. A special website advisory group includes both nationally recigonized experts in military and VA legal issues and key leaders from the military and veteran communities in Maine.
Pine Tree's Executive Director Nan Heald and Website Corrdinator Kathleen Caldwell will be presnt for the event at the White House, which will also address other initiatives associated with improving access to justice.
For more information, contact Helen Connell or Nan Heald at 207-774-4573