Thankful to Serve Our Returning Warriors

November 2019

In This Edition

PLC Thankful to Serve Returning Warriors Through Operation Veterans Re-Entry

Veteran-Led Group Gets Boost from Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project

Pro Bono Attorney James Smith Helps Disabled Veteran Find a Safe and Secure Home

PLC Thankful to Serve Veterans

As PLC staff and pro bono volunteers prepare for cherished moments with family and loved ones this Thanksgiving break, we are grateful for the opportunity to help veterans throughout Orange County have the best holidays possible .

Since 2012, PLC served over 1,500 veterans and recovered over $8 million in benefits through our Operation Veterans Re-Entry . We are especially proud to keep many veterans and their families from experiencing homelessness through representation, advocacy, and impact litigation this year. To learn more about our veterans legal assistance program, please read PLC Staff Attorney Ryan Ueda's article starting on page 30 of the current edition of OC Lawyer . To support our work and get an early start to #GivingTuesday , please donate by clicking the buttons below.

Did you know our services extend to active duty military members as well? Recently, PLC assisted an Air Force servicemember with a $50,000 default judgment due to a co-signed auto loan with our client's sibling. PLC was first notified of the matter by the Orange County Superior Court under provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) , which provides financial and legal protections for active duty service members. We stepped right in to let her know about the default judgment and our ability to assist. Without SCRA and Operation Veterans Re-Entry, our client would likely not even know about her financial and legal liabilities.

Thankfully, PLC helped our client settle the case for $4,500 and gave her peace of mind to continue to serve our nation in the military . With your ongoing support of Operation Veterans Re-Entry, low-income veterans, active duty members and military families throughout Orange County will head into the holiday season with an added sense of security. Please join us in our mission by making a donation today .

I Support Operation Veterans Re-Entry

Reel Warriors Addresses PTSD with PLC's Help

In addition to directly serving individual veterans, active duty servicemembers and military families, PLC also supports local non-profit organizations serving our Operation Veterans Re-Entry community.

Our Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project (COLAP) provides legal services and mentorship to community-based groups and low-income entrepreneurs throughout Orange County. This year, COLAP partnered with Operation Veterans Re-Entry to assist the Reel Warriors Foundation, a new non-profit formed by a group of veterans to provide therapeutic alternatives for veterans suffering from the effects of combat-related PTSD.

In their own words, Reel Warriors are: "a group of combat veterans from different branches that have a love for fishing. For veterans returning from deployment or transitioning to civilian life there are many stressors and struggles. [Their] goal is to provide a network of support and the opportunity for a brief break through offshore fishing trips with other veterans."

PLC helped Reel Warriors Foundation obtain their 501(c)(3) non-profit tax status and Newmeyer & Dillion LLP is assisting them with their trademark registration . Together, we not only transform the lives of individual warriors, but also create a wave of support that empowers communities. Be part of this wave of justice with a donation to support Operation Veterans Re-Entry.

Knobbe Martens Attorney Stands with Veterans

James Smith 's clients rely on the Knobbe Martens associate to navigate patent litigation and strategy. On a regular basis, James also helps PLC's low-income clients navigate critical life milestones. One disabled veteran in particular will spend the holidays in a safe, stable and secure home thanks in large part to James' commitment to all his clients.

Our client honorably served our country for twenty years, and is now living with disabilities as a result of his service . His landlord discriminated against him on the basis of his disability and illegally locked him out of his home. With Knobbe Martens' assistance, the veteran sued his landlord for violations of landlord-tenant law, and state and federal fair housing laws. After contentious litigation, including Ninth Circuit appellate work , Knobbe Martens secured a favorable settlement for our client, allowing him to relocate to a new home .

On behalf of all our veteran clients, we thank pro bono firms like Knobbe Martens and pro bono attorneys like James for going above and beyond the call of duty to secure the very rights our returning warriors fought bravely for all of us to enjoy. Operation Veterans Re-Entry, is dedicated to Captain Matthew Patrick Manoukian, a veteran who lived by the motto: Never above you. Never below you. Always beside you. Please consider making a gift to PLC to ensure all veterans have access to life-changing legal services in their time of need.

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