CHICAGO, March 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Chicago City Council has adopted a resolution recognizing the mission of the Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic (VLSC) at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
John Marshall's VLSC was recently awarded grants from the McCormick Foundation and the Legal Services Corporation. The City of Chicago adopted a resolution from Alderman Edward Burke recognizing the grants and the VLSC's efforts to continue assisting veterans across Illinois with counseling and pro bono legal representation.
The McCormick Foundation and the Legal Services Corporation awarded the VLSC the grants to support The Veterans Access to Justice Program, a joint venture between John Marshall and Southern Illinois University's School of Law. The mission of the program is to provide a wide range of services statewide, including assisting veterans in Northeastern Illinois with counseling on veterans' issues and pro bono legal assistance for veterans appealing improper denials issued by the Veterans Benefits Administration.
The state of Illinois is home to an estimated 721,575 veterans. Brian Clauss, executive director of the VLSC at John Marshall, said access to care is a significant concern for rural veterans. "There's a tremendous need in Southern Illinois for these types of services," Clauss said. "They simply do not have access to the same resources a veteran in Chicago has."
Since 2006, the VLSC has been a national leader in serving deserving veterans denied benefits for service-connected injury or illness by the Veterans Benefits Administration. Law students working in the clinic gain real-world experience working with veterans while under the direct supervision of licensed clinical attorneys and professors.
About The John Marshall Law School
The John Marshall Law School, founded in 1899, is an independent law school located in the heart of Chicago's legal, financial and commercial districts. The 2017 U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Graduate Schools ranks John Marshall's Lawyering Skills Program fifth, its Trial Advocacy Program 19th and its Intellectual Property Law Program 21st in the nation. Since its inception, John Marshall has been a pioneer in legal education and has been guided by a tradition of diversity, innovation, access and opportunity.