What is Indiana Lawyers for Servicemembers?

Sponsored by the Indiana State Bar Association Military & Veterans' Affairs Committee, Indiana Lawyers for Servicemembers is a statewide network of attorney volunteers who provide legal assistance for current and former members of our military and, in some cases, their family members.

As a volunteer, what can you expect?

You will be connected with a client based on your geographic area and legal expertise. When a case meets the criteria you provided, you will be contacted by a member of the ISBA Military & Veterans' Affairs Committee via phone or email. Once you agree to accept the case, you will be provided with a summary of the case and any related documents provided to us by the client. You are responsible for initiating contact with the client. Clients will not be given your contact information, so it is extremely important that you initiate contact as soon as possible (preferably within five business days of case assignment).

You will provide up to one hour of legal assistance for free. This is enough time to have an initial consultation, resolve some simple legal questions and provide advice and support on more complicated legal issues. Depending on the client’s eligibility, the lawyer will provide additional legal advice at a free or reduced rate as agreed upon by the client and the lawyer.

If you wish, you may use these guidelines to determine the client’s eligibility for pro bono or reduced-rate legal assistance.

Sign up to participate

To be included in this network of volunteer attorneys who assist our local heroes, please complete the online volunteer form >> 

Servicemember Eligibility

As a current or former member of the military, you may be eligible for legal assistance from one of our attorney volunteers. Please note: The Indiana Lawyers for Servicemembers program does not provide assistance on criminal matters. For assistance on criminal matters, contact a public defender or a local bar association for the name of a local attorney.

Eligible Servicemembers and family members include:

• Current active duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine personnel who list Indiana as home of record or current duty station
  
• Current active duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine personnel who are subject to imminent deployment or returning from a recent deployment
  
• Current Indiana National Guard personnel, regardless of deployment status
  
• Veterans seeking legal assistance for a service-related disability
  
• Spouses of Indiana National Guard personnel when the legal issue affects the whole family and it is not adverse to the servicemember

If you need legal assistance and you feel you are eligible for this program, or you aren’t sure, please complete the online application. Your application will be forwarded to the Indiana National Guard, regardless of what branch you represent. You will then be contacted by Indiana National Guard personnel to complete the screening and eligibility process.

If your case is approved for the Indiana Lawyers for Servicemembers program, you will be matched with an attorney based on the information you provided in the application, namely (1) the description of your legal issue and (2) your location in Indiana. Once your case is assigned to an attorney, he or she will contact you directly. 

Important to note: This website will not make any initial determination on income requirements. Whether the legal services will be provided for free (pro bono), for a reduced fee, or full fee will be worked out between the client and the attorney once matched. Neither the Indiana Lawyers for Servicemembers program, nor the Indiana State Bar Association, is involved in that determination.

More About Indiana Lawyers for Servicemembers

Indiana's armed service personnel make great sacrifices on behalf of their fellow Hoosiers. One basic benefit that service personnel are and should be entitled to is legal assistance in a range of civil and non-criminal contexts, particularly when these service men and women are actively deployed. Regrettably, access to this kind of representation frequently is not available for Indiana-based personnel and their families because of limited resources currently available through the appropriate service wings.

This program is an effort by the Indiana State Bar Association to bridge this gap between existing needs and available resources by providing a pool of attorneys who have volunteered to assist Indiana service members, veterans and their families. 

With questions, please contact military@inbar.org or 1-800-266-2581.