Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Veterans Legal Assistance Project (VLAP) has been awarded a two-year, $490,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, providing funding for a new VLAP fellow who will serve as a staff attorney focused exclusively on veterans’ matters and travel the state to expand the program’s reach.
The fellow will establish offices in Burlington, Newport, Bennington and Brattleboro, adding to VLAP’s existing presence in Rutland and White River Junction.
“This grant reaffirms our longstanding commitment to veterans,” Dean Beth McCormack said.
VLAP provides civil legal services to veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, representing them in issues such as foreclosure and eviction defense, bankruptcy, benefit claims and appeals, overpayments and discharge upgrades. The project also assists with Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance appeals and offers simple estate planning.
The grant follows last year’s 14-month, $300,000 award, which enabled VLAP to assist more than 250 Vermont veterans. With the renewal, VLAP expects to help 450 veterans over two years and remains the only legal service provider in the state to receive a grant in this round.
