Ballinger Speaks at Florida Bar Military Law Symposium

On Saturday, June 27, 2015 Canton Attorney Eric Ballinger was a guest speaker at the Florida Bar’s 2015 Military Law Symposium held at the Boca Raton Resort and Beach Club in Boca Raton, Florida. Ballinger spoke on the formation, structure and programs of the State Bar of Georgia’s Military Legal Assistance Program to a group of Florida lawyers. Currently, the Florida Bar is in the formation stage of a assistance program for the military.

The State Bar of Georgia opened the doors for the Military Legal Assistance Program (MLAP) in December 2010 in response to meet the legal needs of service-members deployed in combat areas. The Bar also identified the need for accredited lawyers to represent individuals with claims before the Veterans Administration. “Senior military commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan approached the Bar leadership in 2008 to get help for service-members in combat areas with their legal needs Legal issues back home distract service-members from the mission and affects readiness and safety.” Since opening its doors, the military legal assistance program has processed in excess of 1400 cases, receiving approximately 6 to 10 requests per day. The program pairs active-duty service-members and veterans with volunteer lawyers throughout the State of Georgia. The lawyers come from all practice areas and are willing to consult on and handle legal matters on a pro bono and “low-bono” basis.

In addition, the program coordinates the efforts of the legal clinics working with the Veterans Administration, the Veterans Courts and pro-bono legal clinics at the Law Schools in the State of Georgia. The program also oversees continuing legal education to ensure that there are enough lawyers in Georgia to represent claimants before the Veterans Administration. Since 2010 the number of accredited lawyers has increased from 168 to over 700. “The program is very successful and has received a lot of attention from across the country.” According to Ballinger “In May we hosted a symposium in Atlanta for military legal assistance programs representing 16 states as well as the American Bar Association. In addition to the Florida Bar we have received invitations to speak to other professional organizations.”

Ballinger has served as the Chair of the Military Legal Assistance Program Committee since 2012 and is a representative on the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Georgia for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit (Cherokee County).