This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a proposal to help veterans in the Sunshine State obtain the legal services of top law firms on a pro bono basis.
DeSantis announced the launch of the Governor’s Initiative on Lawyers Assisting Warriors (GI LAW) on Thursday.
“Through GI LAW, our state’s men and women in uniform will receive free legal counsel in a variety of civil manners, including actions in local courts. Participating attorneys will dedicate time and expertise to ensure prompt and fair resolution of the legal matters of our service men and women. The governor also announced GI LAW has secured the commitment of four of Florida’s top law firms: Greenberg Traurig, Holland & Knight, Shutts & Bowen and Gunster,” the governor’s office announced.
“The application process will be housed on a soon-to-be live webpage through Enterprise Florida’s website. Military members looking for local legal counsel will contact a JAG officer in their area, who will then work to fill out the application. The leadership of GI LAW will then work with participating firms to coordinate legal services on their behalf,” the governor’s office added
DeSantis tapped Chuck Faircloth, the general counsel of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, will serve as executive director of the new project. The governor also named several prominent Floridians to its Steering Committee including Maj. General James Eifert, the adjutant general of the Florida National Guard; Danny Burgess, the executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs; Bruce Grant, the vice president of military and defense programs at Enterprise Florida and prominent attorneys from several top law firms.
“I’m proud to be able to lead this remarkable effort to provide our active duty service members free legal services from some of the best law firms in our state,” said DeSantis. “This is a big win for our service members and our military here in Florida and I commend all those involved for their commitment to our military.”
“I am honored to have been named as one of the steering committee members for Gov. DeSantis’ new initiative to provide service members pro bono legal services,” said Eifert. “This program is simply one example of the governor’s commitment to military issues, and I am confident that it will provide an invaluable service to our Florida service members.”
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