{"id":6774,"date":"2011-11-07T13:43:50","date_gmt":"2011-11-07T18:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.law.stetson.edu\/news\/?p=6774"},"modified":"2012-02-23T12:55:50","modified_gmt":"2012-02-23T17:55:50","slug":"stetson-law-announces-expanded-programs-for-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stetson.edu\/law\/news\/index.php\/2011\/11\/07\/stetson-law-announces-expanded-programs-for-veterans\/","title":{"rendered":"Stetson Law announces expanded programs for veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stetson University College of Law is expanding its programs for veterans this year. The college is increasing the number of Yellow Ribbon<\/a> scholarships that it offers student veterans from three to 10, a new Student Veterans Organization<\/a>\u00a0has started this semester on campus, and a new legal assistance program for veterans is in the works.<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a>
Student Jeffrey Harvey leads a recent meeting of the Student Veterans Organization on the Gulfport campus. Photo by Steven Lacks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Tampa Bay area on the west coast of Florida is home to one of the largest concentrations of military veterans in the U.S. The need for expanded programming, including academic and legal services for both veterans and active military, is substantial.<\/p>\n

\u201cVeterans take an oath to support and defend the Constitution when they become members of the military.\u00a0These additional scholarships will allow more veterans to continue to fulfill that oath as members of the legal profession.\u00a0 It is, in a very real sense, a continuation of service to the nation,\u201d said Professor Charles Rose, director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy at Stetson Law.<\/p>\n

Stetson\u2019s new expanded programs for veterans will provide law students with an opportunity to receive more scholarships, learn more about the expanding field of veterans law, and sharpen their legal skills while helping to serve the area\u2019s growing veteran population.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new student organization will create a network of student veterans on campus that can provide peer support, increase awareness and participation in pro bono projects that help veterans, and provide a forum for a collaborative discussion on resolving issues that affect not only veterans, but the military and legal professions at large,\u201d\u00a0said Jeffrey Harvey, president of the Student Veterans Organization at Stetson. \u201cOne way we hope to do this by organizing events where students can learn skills like time and stress management from the military culture.\u201d<\/p>\n