Veterans Legal Clinic
We’ve Moved! Our office is now located in Building 218 of the West LA VA Medical Center.
Need legal help? Come see us at one of our November Intake Events.
The UCLA School of Law Veterans Legal Clinic seeks to address the unmet legal needs of veterans, particularly those staying or accessing services at the West LA VA medical Center and develop the practical skills of law students while enhancing their knowledge of, and appreciation for, the issues facing our former military service members.
Part of UCLA School of Law's Experiential Education program, the clinic is distinct from the student-run El Centro Legal clinic that also assists veterans. It is housed at the West LA VA Medical Center campus. Clinic clientele include veterans who are chronically homeless and those who are aging, disabled, and returning from incarceration.
"The UCLA School of Law Veterans Legal Clinic allowed me to develop essential lawyering skills and apply them to serve a community that is close to my heart. As a veteran, I found the clinic to be an amazing opportunity to give back to those who gave so much."
--Nathan Goncalves, Class of 2018 | U.S. Army, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds""Professionally, the Veterans Legal Clinic was an extraordinary opportunity to put what I learned in the classroom into action. I wrote real legal briefs, I prepared arguments to give in court, I appeared in front of a judge with a client. Personally, as the stepson of a veteran and someone who is dedicated to addressing the ongoing crisis of homelessness in our city, it was an incredibly meaningful experience."
--Ian Grady, Class of 2019
For Veterans Seeking Legal Assistance
The UCLA School of Law Veterans Legal Clinic provides free legal assistance to former service members in the following areas of law:
- Veterans disability benefits: service connected compensation and non-service connected pension
- Quality of life citations & traffic violations: cases heard in traffic court, not DUIs or other criminal cases
- Criminal record clearing: expungement of past criminal convictions, removal from PC 290 registry
- Landlord-tenant issues: services for tenants only, focusing on reasonable accommodations, HUD-VASH issues, and conditions in the unit
Referrals may be provided for other legal issues. Services are not guaranteed. The clinic prioritizes low-income veterans living in LA County and receiving services through the West LA VA. Services may be provided regardless of discharge status or period or term of service.
"From my initial meeting at the West LA Stand Down, the students and staff members of the UCLA Veterans Legal Clinic have gone above and beyond. They have not only assisted me with appealing my benefits claims, but also accompanied me to doctor's appointments and talked to my case worker about my housing needs. They listen and want to help."
--Jesse Cage"The results Ms. Patel and her students achieved for me changed my life. I went from homeless to owning my home. I went from sleeping under a bridge to sleeping in my own bed. When I received the news that the VA admitted its mistake and returned $70,000 in benefits to me, I could not believe it. Without the help of the UCLA Veterans Legal Clinic, I don’t know where I would be today."
--Darius Fryar