“So run a red light today! It’s on us!”
Ugh.
Ethical…
The ABA is encouraging lawyers to honor veterans through pro bono assistance, according to a statement by ABA President James R. Silkenat.“America’s lawyers join the rest of the nation on Veterans Day in honoring those who have served for their crucial contributions to preserving our democratic rule of law,” Silkenat says in the statement on the American Bar Association website. The ABA has several military assistance programs. They include:
• The ABA Military Pro Bono Project, which accepts pro bono case referrals from military lawyers on behalf of junior-enlisted, active-duty military personnel and their families.
• The Veterans’ Claims Assistance Network, which helps wounded and disabled veterans complete claims packages for expedited review by the Veterans Administration.
• ABA Home Front, a source of free publications and information on legal topics encountered by military families.
More information on ABA programs for veterans is available here.
Unethical (and stupid)…
Also from the Journal:
A New Jersey law firm is offering a free defense to military veterans charged with a traffic offense on Veterans Day.
“Whether it’s a serious matter, like a DWI, or a speeding ticket, we will take care of it for free,” attorney Al Mollo of the Mollo Law Firm told the Asbury Park Press.
He said his Red Bank firm started offering the free representation last year and this year is publicizing it. Mollo, who comes from a military family, says he also hopes to encourage other law firms to join in the effort or adopt similar programs.
An offer of free legal services is generous. Specifying a particular offense…
- trivializes the offense,
- suggests that veterans deserve some special leniency regarding the offense, and
- implies that veterans are particularly likely to engage in the offense.
Imagine a similar offer to veterans for spousal abuse charges on Veterans Day, or illegal drug use, or PTSD rage assaults.
Ugh.
Ethics Alarms 