What:

Oregon lawyers and law students from the National Lawyers Guild work with national military GI rights network. Every month, thousands of GIs contact the GI Rights Hotline to learn about their options regarding military discharge, being AWOL, political expression and homosexuality. The Hotline has helped thousand of GIs obtain military discharges and learn about their legal options. During 2003, over 23,000 GIs contacted the Hotline. Oregon lawyers are conducting a training for all interested attorneys, legal workers and law students.

Why:

Since recent military deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world, the GI Rights Hotline has received a large increase in the number of calls from Reserve service members and their families worried about call-ups, and service members interested in obtaining military discharge. Furthermore, recent surveys have shown that a large percentage of active and reserve members are not seeking re-enlistment when their tour is finished.

This program complements the Oregon State Bar’s recent creation of a Military Assistance Panel to provide pro bono services to active duty service members and their families initially focusing on family and consumer law issues. Although the Guild applauds the Bar’s effort, it does not go far enough. The GI Rights Hotline – a national network of nonprofit organizations which provides information to service members about military discharges, grievance and complaint procedures and other civil rights, and which includes the Guild’s Military Law Taskforce – has been receiving several thousand calls each month from GIs and their families. The Guild’s hope is that through this military law training, we will be able to provide counseling to GIs from Oregon and their families which goes beyond the Bar’s initial efforts.

When: 9:00am to 1:00pm, January 31, 2004.

Where: Lewis & Clark College, 10015 S.W. Terwilliger Blvd., Portland, OR 97219 in AQ Conference Room #220.