University of Arizona Law Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic Expand Staffing, Services with $300,000 Gift

Aug. 21, 2024
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Two law students before local Veterans Court

The Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic (VALC) at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law was awarded a $300,000 gift from Philip Morris International (PMI) enabling the Clinic to expand staffing and provide additional services to current and former military service members in Arizona.  

VALC is a multi-disciplinary legal clinic that offers pro bono legal services to veterans, their families and communities. Students in the clinic work under the supervision of experienced attorneys to represent veterans in various legal matters, including cases before local veterans treatment courts, federal courts, administrative hearings, and policy issues related to military service. 

The gift from PMI will allow VALC to hire additional attorneys, enabling the clinic to enroll more law students, therefore expanding services to veterans. Funds will also be used to support a new initiative, operating a mobile law clinic to increase access to legal services and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits for rural and Tribal veterans. 

“As Director of the Clinic, I have long wanted to expand our free legal services to underserved veterans—those who live in “legal deserts.” Research shows that the majority of rural and Tribal veterans do not access the services they need or are entitled to due to factors such as geography, lack of infrastructure and technology, and distance from the VA and legal providers,” said Kristine Huskey, director of VALC. “We are so thrilled to start this project!” 

VALC’s new staff attorney Dayna Michael (’17), an army veteran and Arizona Law alumna, who completed four semesters in the clinic during her time as a law student, joined the Clinic at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year.  

“Dayna was a top student and is a top-notch attorney now. After graduating, she volunteered and worked as a contract attorney in the Clinic, helping supervise students and serve veterans,” said Huskey. “She will use her breadth of experience and expertise to expand the Clinic’s services to veterans and to serve as an outstanding role model for the students.” 

Michael will supervise students in veterans treatment court, on VA disability benefits and U.S. Department of Defense administrative cases and will help VALC reinstate pop-up legal clinics at the Tucson VA, which have been on pause since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I absolutely love the work that the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic engages in. It was the key experience that led me to working solely with veterans in my legal career. It is wonderful to be back on campus and to be a part of such an amazing clinic,” said Michael. “I am looking forward to working with law students and helping them understand how important it is to provide these services to our country’s veterans. The legal needs for veterans can vary tremendously but I am most excited to be a small part of helping our veterans who are transitioning out of the military. In my experience, this can be the most difficult time for a veteran and having resources available is a key component in making the transition successful.” 

Funding from PMI comes after findings of a newly published white paper, “Serving Those Who Served,” which shares first-person insights from veterans across the country and details PMI’s commitment to empower and positively impact the lives of veterans and their families. PMI has awarded legal clinics at select law schools as part of a coordinated initiative supporting military veterans in their transition to civilian life, as well as additional funding for local and national organizations improving the lives of veterans.  Read more about PMI’s veterans-focused efforts and download the “Serving Those Who Served” white paper here. 

“Acting upon insights from our white paper, we wanted to find ways to provide more sustained, individualized support.  Our multi-year commitment to VALC does just that,” said J.B. Simko, PMI’s Chief Civil Society & Underage Prevention Officer.  “The support we provide acts as a multiplier for the clinic to increase law student participation and expand program reach to help more Arizona veterans.  

 “Veterans support is extremely important to PMI and its U.S. affiliates. We’re thrilled to partner with Kristine and her team,” said Simko, “VALC is a model program for other law clinics to consider.”