Should I JoIn MVAC? of CourSe I Should
Military & Veterans Affairs Committee
Chairs: Matthew F. Hall – Hill Ward Henderson PA & Alexandra Srsic – Bay Area Legal Services
First off, we want to thank
Bob Nader, Judge Steve
Berlin, and Sonya Colon
for their guidance and
leadership over the past Bar year.
We are entering a new and exciting
Bar year where so many things
will be different because of the
COVID-19 pandemic. We (Alex
and Matthew) plan on doing our
best to continue the march forward
for MVAC, expand its reach in the
Bar community, continue the great
programs MVAC has been running,
and carry the torch in connecting
our Bar association with our active
duty, reserve, guard, and veteran
community in Tampa Bay.
For those who are new to MVAC
or are learning about MVAC for
the first time, let us first say: You do
not have to be a veteran to support
veterans, and you do not have to be
a veteran to join MVAC. We are an
all-inclusive committee with
members from diverse backgrounds
and diverse practice areas. What we
have in common is that we want to
support and promote those who are
currently serving or have served in
the U.S. military and their families.
And we want you to join us.
One of the
most unique parts
of MVAC is the
Veterans Legal
Assistance
Registry or
VLAR, the State
of Florida’s first
registry that
connects veterans
in need of legal
assistance with
lawyers willing to
provide reduced
rate or pro bono
services for those
veterans. It is
hard to believe
that VLAR is five
years old now, and
we hope to have
a “Thank You”
reception for those
nearly 100 lawyers who have joined
VLAR in one or more of the 17
areas of law it contains. If you
would like to see the list, check out
the HCBA website under the “For
The Public” tab or go to http://
tinyurl.com/veteranslegalregistry.
(If you would like to be added
to the registry, contact Matthew
or Alex).
The other projects that MVAC
promotes and participates in are
just as important — from assisting
homeless veterans through
Operation Stand Down events,
providing guidance and support
to the Judge Advocate General
Corps stationed at MacDill AFB,
promoting the 13th Judicial
Circuit’s nationally-recognized
You do not have to be
a veteran to support
veterans, and you do
not have to be a
veteran to join MVAC.
Veterans
Treatment
Court, to
recognizing
our local
judiciary
and Bar
members that
have prior
military
service.
Because
of the diverse
nature of our
committee,
we have many
opportunities
for leadership,
for
publication,
and for
speaking
opportunities.
Our Education subcommittee
puts on multiple CLEs each year
and is always looking for motivated
speakers and interesting topics.
MVAC is also always interested
to work with other HCBA
committees, like the joint meeting
we hosted with the Senior Counsel
Section last year, and even other
Bar associations, like when we
co-hosted a Wills for Veterans
event with the Tampa Bay Chapter
of the Federal Bar Association.
We know that 2020-2021 may
be a different year because of the
changes in early 2020, but MVAC
will continue to be an exciting and
active committee, promoting our
local military and veterans. We
hope you join us for another great
year and continuing to expand the
reach and impact of MVAC. n
Join the Military & Veterans Affairs Committee today
on your member profile at hillsbar.com.
Authors: Matthew F. Hall – Hill
Ward Henderson PA & Alexandra
Srsic – Bay Area Legal Services
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