Veterans Legal Services

Veterans Legal Services Board Member and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Nicholas Hasenfus of Holland & Knight LLP is a four-star sponsor of VLS's annual event! We get the pleasure of tooting Nick’s horn for him; he will not do it himself! 🇺🇸 After serving for 4 years in the USMC and deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, Nick graduated from Suffolk University Law School, clerked for the MA Appeals Court, and went to work at Holland & Knight, where he is now a partner. Throughout, he has deeply engaged in veterans causes, including: - Legal Services Corporation's Veterans Task Force (member) - Boston Bar Association Veterans & Servicemembers Law Forum (co-chair) - American Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (committee member; special advisor) - Holland & Knight LLP Veterans Group (co-chair; pro bono chair) - Veterans Legal Services (board member; education & outreach committee chair; board self-assessment working group member; DEI strategic plan working group participant; pro bono attorney; extraordinarily generous donor) Thank you, Nick, for all that you do! We are proud to call you a VLS board member. Thank you also to Holland & Knight for its sponsorship of VLS’s annual event! Join Nick in supporting Veterans Legal Services -- there's still time to donate or RSVP for the annual event on 7/16/24, which will feature world-renowned author Doris Kearns Goodwin! https://lnkd.in/ednUgcp5

Thank you for this spotlight! We are grateful for the support of the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation and its trustees who help Veterans Legal Services increase impact for Massachusetts veterans!

Thank you, Joe Kearns Goodwin and Veronika Goodwin, for your 4-star sponsorship of the Veterans Legal Services annual event! Joe, a U.S. Army veteran, has served on the VLS board of directors since 2015. He has generously shared his lived experience, talent, and connections to advance VLS’s mission. At VLS’s annual event on Tuesday, 7/16/24, Joe and his mother, Doris Kearns Goodwin, will be the featured speakers. Get ready for an insightful and engaging discussion! Their conversation, “fireside chat” style, will explore their individual journeys and the intersections of their passions and experiences. Join Joe and Veronika by donating in support of VLS's mission to help Massachusetts veterans overcome adversity by providing free civil legal aid that honors their service, promotes well-being, and responds to their distinctive needs. And please join us for the event!    https://lnkd.in/ednUgcp5

I am thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of my co-op at Veterans Legal Services as the Eligibility and Outreach Specialist. During my time at VLS, I had the privilege of working alongside a talented team dedicated to assisting veterans. Each day presented new opportunities for growth and contribution to meaningful work which was incredibly fulfilling. I am immensely grateful to the Veterans Legal Services team for the mentorship they have provided me throughout this co-op. This opportunity has been instrumental in shaping my professional development and as I transition from this experience, I am eager to apply the knowledge and skills I've gained to future aspirations. Thank you Veterans Legal Services for being a part of this incredible chapter of my career journey!

Are you fortunate enough to know these folks?! Pictured are Rosemary and Dick Allen, 4-star sponsors of the Veterans Legal Services annual event. Rosemary and Dick have contributed to VLS and to society in countless impactful ways. In their careers, Rosemary was a partner at Mintz and Dick was a partner at Casner & Edwards, LLP and the former head of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Public Charities Division. Upon retirement, Rosemary served as an Access to Justice Fellow with VLS, then as a board member. She helped recruit law firms to do pro bono work at VLS (and the firms are still doing that work today!), and helped VLS with development and governance. Dick served as board chair for Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and also served as an Access to Justice Fellow with VLS, sharing his remarkable expertise and guidance on nonprofit law and governance matters. A few years ago, Rosemary and Dick moved to Virginia to be closer to family, but their commitment to supporting Massachusetts nonprofits and community needs has not waned! They won't likely see this post and they are always quietly generous and selfless. We miss them greatly and are deeply thankful for their steadfast support. --- Join Rosemary and Dick by making a donation -- and please join us for the event! The event is on 7/16/24 and will feature Doris Kearns Goodwin, the world-renowned Pulitzer-Prize winning author and author of the current # 1 New York Times bestseller An Unfinished Love Story, and her son, Joe Kearns Goodwin, a U.S. Army veteran and VLS board member. Sponsorship opportunities, individual admission, and details: https://lnkd.in/ednUgcp5

Let's hear it for our friends at Eastern Bank! They are a 4-star sponsor of the Veterans Legal Services annual event! VLS has a deep and long-standing relationship with Eastern and its employees that started with their employees' genuine interest in and commitment to veterans' issues. Their Military Veterans & Families Network, led by Elizabeth Symolon and Tiphany Hersey, connects Eastern employees (many of whom are military spouses/parents!) with community organizations like VLS and their team members routinely dedicate time to learning about and supporting community needs. 🙏 We are grateful for their support and that of the Eastern Bank Foundation, led by Nancy Stager, which has also provided grant funding to VLS to help maintain and secure housing for veterans in need. VLS's relationship with Eastern has grown over the years and VLS is now a banking client of Eastern! --- Join Eastern now by making a donation -- and please join us for the event! The event is on 7/16/24 and will feature Doris Kearns Goodwin, the world-renowned Pulitzer-Prize winning author and author of the current # 1 New York Times bestseller An Unfinished Love Story, and her son, Joe Kearns Goodwin, a U.S. Army veteran and VLS board member. Sponsorship opportunities, individual admission, and details: https://lnkd.in/e6DUYTcJ #joinusforgood

Team Veterans Legal Services is deeply grateful to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates for supporting VLS's annual event as a 4-star sponsor! Skadden has been a quiet but incredibly meaningful supporter of VLS over the years through its pro bono work, financial contributions, and introductions to people and opportunities who have helped VLS further its mission. Special thanks to Partner James Carroll for his leadership and to Skadden attorneys for their pro bono work. Join Skadden now by making a donation in support of VLS's annual fundraising event -- and please join us for the event! The event is on 7/16/24 and will feature Doris Kearns Goodwin, the world-renowned Pulitzer-Prize winning author and author of the current # 1 New York Times bestseller An Unfinished Love Story, and her son, Joe Kearns Goodwin, a U.S. Army veteran and VLS board member. Sponsorship opportunities, individual admission, and details: https://lnkd.in/ednUgcp5

Santander is a 5-star sponsor of Veterans Legal Services's annual event! Santander's Attorney Daniel C. LaPenta has served on the VLS board of directors since 2016 and is a U.S. Navy veteran. 🇺🇸 Fun fact: In his early years of serving at VLS, he was deployed overseas and made it home just in time for the birth of his son! Dan remains active in the Reserves, works as Deputy General Counsel at Santander, AND has 3 active sons who keep him and his wife, Dayle, very busy! And yet Dan still finds time for nonprofit service. At VLS, Dan serves on the Governance Committee and helps secure financial contributions to enable VLS to fulfill its mission. Santander has also been a generous grant funder! --- Join Santander and Dan now by making a donation in support of VLS's annual fundraising event -- and please join us for the event! The event will be held on 7/16/24 and will feature Doris Kearns Goodwin, the world-renowned Pulitzer-Prize winning author and author of the current # 1 New York Times bestseller An Unfinished Love Story, and her son, Joe Kearns Goodwin, a U.S. Army veteran and VLS board member. Sponsorship opportunities, individual admission, and details: https://lnkd.in/ednUgcp5.

🇺🇸 ⚖ 🎖 Yesterday, Veterans Legal Services in collaboration with the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, hosted an event at the federal court in MA and live streamed across the country for Federal Bar Association members, lawyers, judicial/court staff, and law students. The speakers oriented the audience on legal issues affecting veterans and shared powerful personal stories and statistics. VLS shared resources with the attendees -- both for veterans needing legal help and for judicial/court staff needing consultations. The resource materials and speaker bios are available here: https://lnkd.in/ekG3_q6V. The speakers: --> Tara Dunn, Judicial Law Clerk, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts; USAF Veteran and Reservist --> Nicholas Hasenfus, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP; USMC Veteran; Veterans Legal Services Board Member --> Alexandra Trobe, Associate, Williams & Connolly LLP; USAF Veteran; Veterans Legal Services Board Member --> Nora Tyer-Witek, Clerk of Court, U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island; USMC Veteran and former Judge Advocate General Thank you to all who attended and helped plan this event. For those who missed it, an event recording will be available soon.

Happening today! #Boston attorney Nicholas Hasenfus, who serves as the #ProBono Chair of Holland & Knight's Veterans Group, will offer insights into military culture during a panel hosted by Veterans Legal Services with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. He will discuss the legal issues #veterans face as well as the resources available to them during this engaging event. https://bit.ly/3VZcA5R #HKVeterans