Utah@EASE: Pro Bono Legal Services for Veterans and Current Military Personnel

November 11, 2020

In Utah, Veterans Day is not just November 11. It is every day with the “At Ease” Program—matching pro bono lawyers with those who have served in uniform.

With the support of the Utah legislature and governor, Attorney General Sean D. Reyes created Utah@Ease to ensure our military servicemen and women had access to the legal representation they deserve without burdensome cost.

If you are a Veteran or current service member and you need legal advice or assistance, we may be able to help.

The Utah Attorney General’s Office and the Utah Department of Veteran and Military Affairs can match you with a private law firm that won’t charge you for reviewing your case or representing you if they take your case.

Not all types of cases fit the program. For example, we do not have the resources to handle criminal defense matters. If you have any questions, please email the program director, Larry Schmidt, at lschmidt@agutah.gov to make sure you qualify.

Thank you to all our volunteer lawyer partners, their law firms and the Utah State Bar for generously donating your time to support our service members and Veterans!

It’s a way to give back to those who have given us so much.

For more information, check out this fact sheet or visit the Utah@EASE page.

Attorney General Reyes Statement on Veteran’s Day

November 11, 2020

In recognition of Veteran’s Day, Attorney General Sean D. Reyes released the following statement:

“On this Veterans Day, I am filled with respect, admiration, and appreciation for all who have honorably served in uniform, including my own co-workers, friends, and family members.
“In such a difficult year, some might, in all of the stress, overlook the great sacrifices made by our Veterans. In a year of great loss for many, others might forget the freedoms in America we’re so fortunate to have and those Veterans who’ve fought to protect them. Instead, I hope we all take appropriate time today to honor, and express gratitude for, our military service men and women.
“For even just a day, I hope we can take our minds off pandemic threats and political divisiveness and unite as Utahns to recognize the service of our Veterans here and around the world. As it has been throughout history, their contributions are incalculable.”

Honoring our Veterans on Veterans Day 2019

November 11, 2019

On this Veteran’s Day, we at the Utah Attorney General’s Office express our deepest gratitude to all our veterans. We honor those brave men and women who have served through hardships and sacrifice, who courageously fought for our nation to protect our rights and freedoms. We mourn for those who made the ultimate sacrifice and we offer our greatest condolences to those that have lost their loved ones.

Today we say thank you. Thank you to all who have served in uniform, both overseas and on American soil, for sacrificing both on duty and upon returning home. We express our gratitude to the families of veterans who gave up their loved one for long periods of deployment.

We would like to emphasis Utah@EASE, a referral program led by the Utah Attorney General’s Office that finds volunteer attorneys to provide pro bono services for veterans and servicemembers. For more information about this initiative, go here.

We honor our wounded warriors, those missing in action, those who have fallen, those that continue to serve, and those that have retired from service. We encourage you to commemorate our veterans this day and every day.

Honoring our Veterans

November 11, 2018

On this Veterans Day, we at the Office of the Utah Attorney General take a moment to remember those who have served our country in the pursuit of freedom for all.

Most of us have experienced what it’s like to say goodbye to someone we love headed for deployment – whether a spouse, parent, uncle, aunt, sibling, cousin, or friend – without any idea if they will make it back home. It is one of the hardest and, yet, proudest moments in our lives.

Today we say thank you. Thank you to all who have served in uniform and who have sacrificed both on duty and upon returning home. Thank you to the family members who have given up their loved ones for long periods of deployment. And thank you to our gold star families, for giving the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation.

Let each of us remember the service of our veterans. Let each of us take a moment and express our thanks for all they have given.

It is a small thing we can do for those who have sacrificed much so that we can live free.

– From Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes and the Office of the Utah Attorney General

AG Sean Reyes Statement on on Veterans Day 2017

Attorney General Sean Reyes issued the following statement on Veterans Day 2017:

This month, as we focus on giving thanks, it is more than appropriate that at least one day is specifically dedicated to honoring our military men and women. Thank you to all who have served in uniform and who have sacrificed both on duty and upon returning home. Thank you to family members who have spent time and precious moments away from deployed loved ones. And our deepest thanks to each gold star family who has given the greatest sacrifice for our nation.

We celebrate Veterans Day in the Attorney General’s office by remembering all who have served our country, including many of our own employees. Personally, I honor my own family members who fought in world wars, some who signed up for the draft during a time when even their loyalty to their country was in question. I also pay tribute to those modern-day veterans like my brother-in-law who served in the Middle East after the attacks on September 11.

I am humbled each time I’m privileged to recognize a veteran with an award for his or her service and contribution to our community and country. Our office is dedicated to finding ways to serve our veteran community as a whole, recognizing that as a group, they are statistically one of our most vulnerable. We appreciate that their service has often affected them in ways that make them more susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicide.

Far too many vets–over twenty a day–are lost nationwide to suicide. Some reports indicate we have lost more veterans of Middle East conflicts to suicide than to combat. In battle, we speak of leaving no one behind. In a return to civilian life, we leave far too many Vets behind. Additionally, a disproportionate number of Vets are homeless and lacking needed medical attention.

I hope this Veterans day is a reminder that we, as a community, must re-focus on helping our service men and women overcome the challenges of job displacement and the hurdles of reintegration, offering healthcare, resources, and support for those who are too often fighting a different, internal battle at home.

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes’ Veterans Day Statement

SALT LAKE CITY November 11, 2016 – Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes issued the following Veterans Day statement:

“On this Veterans Day, my team and I at the AG’s Office are reminded of the great debt owed to the men and women who defend our nation and the freedoms we enjoy. This year, we are particularly aware of our veterans’ sacrifices, both at home and abroad, as each selflessly places their lives and safety on the altar of freedom to protect the liberties and rights promised by our Constitution to all Americans, of every color, creed, and culture.

“On a personal level, I am forever grateful to those who have fought and continue to fight for the land and people that welcomed my own father as he fled an oppressive regime in the Philippines in response to the call of Lady Liberty. ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free[…] Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’

“My family has lived by the light of this lamp, as do millions of other citizens who call America home, no matter their color, religion, or culture. I have great hope in our future and gratitude for our diversity because I sincerely believe that America is centered in respect and understanding of the beauties of freedom where diverse backgrounds and cultures coexist in harmony and peace. In every war that Americans have fought, it is the promise of freedom and opportunity for all that has inspired our soldiers.

“On a final note, our veteran community is one of the most vulnerable to succumb to suicide as these heroes battle post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, job displacement, and reintegration hurdles, among other mental, emotional, and economic challenges. Some reports indicate that we have lost more veterans of Middle East conflicts to suicide than to combat. While we never leave them behind in battle, we unknowingly abandon them when they return home. Let’s assure we provide the best healthcare, resources, and support for our veteran men and women who are too often fighting a different and internal war at home.”

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