With Dean’s Renewed Commitment, GGU Law Now Offers Tremendous Opportunities to Help Our Nation’s Military Veterans—Starting Today

By Frank Zeccola
Law Career Development Graduate Fellow 

Did you know that nearly 3,000 GGU students and alumni are affiliated with the U.S. military in some capacity? Further, there are now record numbers of veterans attending higher education institutions like law schools.

The upshot is that the U.S. now has more than 21.8 million total veterans—and the care and treatment of our nation’s veterans is already a hot issue in 2016 presidential campaigns, with Hilary Clinton, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Ted Cruz all weighing in on the issue. President Obama, in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday, said, “Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world,” and that his administration has “delivered more care and benefits to our troops and veterans.”

Despite all the rhetoric, many feel that our government is sorely failing our military veterans. But there are things you, as a law student, can do for our troops and vets right now.

Dean Van Cleave has specifically put out a renewed call to commit to helping veterans, initially sparked by the death of her law school classmate in the attack on the embassy in Benghazi.

This past November, for example, GGU hosted The Third Annual Veterans Law Conference, which brought together veterans who attended as speakers and guests, sharing advice and their own experience getting jobs.


You can follow on the heels of this successful event by volunteering with the GI Rights Hotline this Friday, January 15, from 2:30-5:30 pm at 65 9th Street right here in San Francisco. The GI Rights Hotline provides information to service members, and veterans, on discharges, grievance and complaint procedures, and other civil rights issues. The Hotline is staffed by a consortium of 18 non-profit organizations across the U.S. and Germany. In San Francisco, it is staffed by volunteers affiliated with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Furthermore, the Hotline particularly welcomes and encourages veteran participation. It’s a great way to use your hard won knowledge of military issues in support of your law training and help current service members and other veterans as well. If you have any questions, or want more information about this project, please contact Siri Margerin, (tel. 415 863 3771, email sirism@mac.com).

In addition, if you are curious about being a Judge Advocate, the U.S. Marine Corps now offers paid ($6,000) summer training programs for current 1L and 2L students. You will gain priceless leadership experience and skills, and there is absolutely no commitment beyond the summer. Attend a session on Wednesday, January 20 in room 3200 to learn more from Marine Corps members Captain Patrick Gibson and Major John-Paul Wheatcroft.

You can also join up with the GGU Law’s Veterans Legal Advocacy Center, which seeks to open the profession to more of our distinguished veterans and to partner with outside agencies to offer programs that serve our students and support the growing legal needs of the broader veterans’ community. Learn more here.

Swords to Ploughshares offers another avenue to get involved with America’s veterans. Swords to Plowshares is a community-based not-for-profit organization that provides counseling and case management, employment and training, housing, and legal assistance to approximately 3,000 veterans right here in the San Francisco Bay Area each year. Find more info here.

The point is clear: With all these great opportunities, there’s no excuse to not begin helping our nation’s military members and veterans starting today.