Heather Spielmaker (left), director of Cooley Law School’s Center for Ethics, Service and Professionalism, was honored recently by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs with its Legion of Merit award. Maj. Gen. Thomas G. Cutler (right) presented Spielmaker with the award. Under Spielmaker’s direction, Cooley founded the Service to Soldiers: Legal Assistance Referral Program in April 2007 to provide free legal assistance to Michigan military personnel who are deploying to, serving in or returning from combat areas.
By Roberta M. Gubbins
Legal News
The large auditorium of the Michigan National Guard’s Joint Services Headquarters in Lansing was filled recently with soldiers in camouflage gathered to recognize and honor those who have done outstanding work in the military.
Heather Spielmaker, director, Thomas M. Cooley Center for Ethics, Service and Professionalism, for the Service to Soldiers program was one of those honored at the TAG (The Adjutant General) Townhall Meeting by Maj. Gen. Thomas G. Cutler, Adjutant General.
Under Spielmaker’s direction, Cooley founded Service to Soldiers: Legal Assistance Referral Program in 2007.
The program provides free legal advice to Michigan military personnel deploying to, serving in or returning from combat areas.
Lawyers who donate their time, Cooley professors, and Cooley students staff the program.
To date, Cooley professors have offered hundreds of consultations and made more than 200 referrals to attorneys and area agencies.
The program has prepared wills and powers-of-attorney for nearly 1,000 deploying troops as well.
“The Service to Soldiers program has enabled hundreds of service members to receive free legal assistance from attorneys who volunteered to participate in the program,” said Major John J. Wojcik, deputy judge advocate, in recommending Spielmaker for the State of Michigan Legion of Merit award.
Wojcik said the program allows service members “to concentrate on their deployments knowing that they have a skilled attorney back home who is helping them with their deployment issues.”
The program has supported more than 20 pre-deployment events for various branches of service over the past three years.
Service to Soldiers is also actively engaged in the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration program, informing returning service members of their legal rights and entitlements available to them upon their return from combat operations.
Spielmaker coordinated with Cooley’s law professors to provide presentations at the Yellow Ribbon events.
With the announcement “Military personnel, attention to orders,” everyone rose to their feet and Cutler presented Spielmaker with the award.
“The adjutant general takes great pleasure in presenting the State of Michigan Legion of Merit to Heather Spielmaker for meritorious achievement from April 2, 2007 to March 25, 2010,” said Cutler.
Spielmaker “evidenced outstanding leadership and service to the community by creating the Service to Soldiers program,” Cutler said “Her actions reflect great credit upon herself, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and the United States of America.”
Spielmaker said the program “has given our volunteer attorneys, students and me the opportunity to express our deep gratitude for our troops while using our special talents and skills.”
“I suspect that we might be more thankful for the program than the clients,” she said. “I can’t think of a more fulfilling arrangement.”
Matthew and Amanda Paletz, recent lawyer volunteers, agree with Spielmaker. They wrote:
“We are appreciative for the opportunity to have provided pro bono legal assistance to the men and women of Michigan National Guard being deployed overseas,” they wrote.
Matthew and Paletz went on to say that the experience “was truly rewarding and also humbling.
“It is the least we can do to help bring some peace of mind to these brave individuals,” the two volunteers said. “Their service to our country is admirable and our service to them is a privilege”
For more information and to volunteer, contact Heather Spielmaker, (517) 371-5140, ext. 4112 or e-mail her at spielmah@cooley.edu.
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