MISSION: MSJDN supports military spouses in the legal profession by advocating for licensing accommodations for military spouse attorneys; educating the public about the challenges faced by career-minded military spouses and their families; encouraging the hiring of military spouses; and providing a network of connecting military spouse attorneys with each other and their supporters. MSJDN currently has approximately 700 members, the majority of which are military spouse attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions and stationed all over the world!

WHAT IS JUSTICE FOR MILITARY FAMILIES? Justice for Military Families (JMF) was launched by Josie Beets, MSJDN’s current President, in December 2013 as the pro bono initiative for the Military Spouse JD Network Foundation. Gabriela Nostro took over as JMF Director in June 2015. Like so many other programs within MSJDN, JMF exploded into the program it is today because of its members!

JMF PARTNERSHIP JMF works in partnership with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). TAPS is a nationally recognized organization, which assists families of fallen Servicemembers. (http://www.taps.org) TAPS and JMF work together to connect surviving family members with pro bono and reduced fee legal assistance throughout the country.

JMF TODAY JMF is composed of 19 committee members, with 8 members serving on the leadership team. Internal leadership team: Gabriela Nostro, JMF Director Sarah Ford, Pro Bono Coordinator Tricia Petek, Lead Intake Coordinator Jenna Bouchard, Kirsten Gough, Katie Herdener, Emmy Klint, and Rachel Smith, Intake Coordinators past and present Amy Rose, JMF Secretary Together, we work tirelessly to help military families with their legal issues. As military spouse attorneys, we are uniquely qualified because we are part of the very community we are serving.

HOW WE WORK The Director oversees the program, manages and creates new partnerships, and conducts outreach to spread the message of JMF and keep us moving forward. Cases are initiated through TAPS by family members of recently deceased Servicemembers. TAPS case managers refer eligible families to JMF, using Intake Forms and questions JMF created.

HOW WE WORK—continued! TAPS sends referrals to the Pro Bono Coordinator for initial case review. The Pro Bono Coordinator sends the case to the Intake Coordinator assigned to place cases for that week. Intake Coordinators alternate weeks and receive all new cases for assigned week. Committee members assist Intake Coordinators in placing cases and assist on long-term projects, including the online library.

AT WORK—Across the Globe!

JMF TEAM AT WORK Our Intake Coordinators use our extensive connections and the MSJDN network to disseminate case summaries and find placements. Our goal is to never leave the surviving family without an answer. In the event we cannot secure a placement, we work to give the surviving family a direction on facing their legal issues through: Informational Papers Brief advice and counsel List of Referrals

COMMON LEGAL ISSUES Probate Questions Military Benefits Family Law Matters The issues can vary greatly to include an array of subject matters Cases originate in jurisdictions across the U.S. Many times the survivors live in one state and the issue arises in another

JMF BY THE NUMBERS Current as of July 2016 Military spouse attorneys make our success possible! To date, JMF has successfully placed almost 80 cases for the surviving families of deceased Servicemen and women. From July 2015 to July 2016, we assisted over 40 surviving families across the country.

Map Representative of Cases Placed July 2015 - July 2016 Stars not in a specific state indicate federal benefit cases

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION IN 2016 Recipient of the National Conference of Bar Foundations/LexisNexis Partnership for Success Award (awarded a $1,500 grant). Recipient of Honorable Mention in the Outstanding Member Program from the National Conference of Women’s Bar Association. Highlighted Press Coverage for JMF: Military Times Military.com The Federal Lawyer for the Federal Bar Association

JMF LOOKING FORWARD MAJOR PROJECTS FOR 2016-2017: Develop a library of legal information sheets that breaks down the law by subject area and jurisdiction and is available on the websites of both MSJDN and TAPS. We hope this will make basic legal information available to even more military families in their time of need! List JMF on state bar association’s list of recommended organizations for pro bono work.

JMF LOOKING FORWARD JMF is continuing to strengthen its relationships with attorneys outside of our MSJDN network. JMF is actively exploring relationships with the pro bono sections of state bars, firms, and legal clinics of law schools. It is our hope that partnering with established groups will aid in the number of surviving families we are able to help!

CONNECT WITH US! Justice for Military Families Email: JMF@msjdn.org Gabriela Nostro Director, Justice for Military Families Board of Directors, Military Spouse JD Network Sarah Ford Pro Bono Coordinator, Justice for Military Families