“The men and women in our armed forces face many stresses abroad, but we cannot overlook the stresses they face at home. Too often, our troops are unable to get the help they need for legal problems ranging from bankruptcy to child custody disputes.  Fortunately, there is an abundance of pro bono lawyers willing to help them at no cost.  This legislation will create a link between the two, ensuring that our troops have access to the representation they need and deserve,” Kohl said.  

Kohl’s legislation offers a simple solution to a serious problem that affects the well-being of our troops and their families. There is an increasingly large number of troops deployed around the world. They have access to legal assistance on-base from Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers, but those JAGs generally cannot appear in court or assist in cases that arise in other parts of the country. When these troops face civil legal problems – like a child custody issue, or a dispute over a bank account – they often have no access to legal assistance. Without representation, they could run the risk of losing custody of their child or financial ruin.  Prolonged deployments make a bad situation worse, and the unresolved burdens at home are a threat to military readiness during deployment.

There are many lawyers nationwide willing to help service members on a pro bono basis, but efforts to connect troops with those lawyers have been limited. The Justice for Troops Act would connect these service members in need of civil legal assistance with attorneys offering such assistance pro bono, while also supporting outreach to JAG offices on military bases across the country to increase awareness of this service. This legislation would authorize the Department of Defense to use funds already appropriated for operation and maintenance to support any programs that connect troops in need with pro bono attorneys.

The Justice for Troops Act is supported by the Department of Defense, Military Officers Association of America, the Southern Wisconsin Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, the National Military Family Association, the National Guard Association of the United States, the Wisconsin National Guard Association, the Association of the US Army, the Air Force Association, and the Gold Star Wives of America.