As co-chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section as well as its pro bono subcommittee, Sandulli Grace Attorney Leigh Panettiere is spearheading an effort to gather experienced labor and employment lawyers in Massachusetts to volunteer their services to the men and women who serve us in the U.S. Military.  In coordination with the Volunteer Lawyers’ Project and Shelter Legal Services, Ms. Panettiere’s committee is arranging to send labor lawyers to “Yellow Ribbon Events” taking place in the next few months. Veterans and their families are invited to attend Yellow Ribbon Events and seek legal and other advice regarding the impact their military service has on their lives. The guidance of labor and employment lawyers is often sorely needed, especially post-deployment.

A large number of returning service members are police officers facing the challenges of re-integrating into the police force after active military service.  Most returning veterans do not have the financial resources to obtain the necessary legal advice on their own.  The goal of this project is to make returning to work easier for veterans and their families, as well as educating employers on the rights of returning veterans.  We encourage our union clients to get involved in this effort.

A training session will be held on Monday, November 1, 2010 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Boston Bar Association. An experienced trainer will be on hand to update the volunteer attorneys on USERRA and other labor and employment statutes that are typically implicated when a returning veteran seeks services.  Any attorney interested in attending the training, volunteering his or her services to veterans, or getting involved in coordination efforts as part of the pro bono subcommittee should contact Leigh Panettiere at lpanettiere@sandulligrace.com, or (617) 523-2500 Ext. 18.

Stay tuned for updates on this project at www.sandulligraceonline.com.