Third-year Baylor Law student Javier Cabanillas with Gulf War veteran Edward Leslie.

In 2015, Army Gulf War veteran Edward Leslie contacted the Veterans Clinic. After he moved out of a local apartment complex, Leslie's landlord would not return his original $500 security deposit after seven years as a tenant. Baylor Law School sent a demand letter to the owners, but the letter was ignored. Baylor Law student Javier Cabanillas, supervised by a licensed attorney, sorted through the evidence, drafted the petition, and filed it with the court. When the owners also ignored the lawsuit, Leslie took a default judgment for statutory damages. He then collected the full amount of the judgment from the owners -- $1,716.00 -- which was over three times the original deposit.

Leslie, who assisted in the capture of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, was delighted with the results. "I would like to thank the Baylor Law School Veterans Clinic for all the professional help and outstanding work that was done with my case," he said.

Baylor Law's Veterans Clinic is also committed to serving the spouses and widows of military veterans. Earlier this summer, the Veterans Clinic obtained the dismissal of municipal ordinance code violation charges for the surviving spouse of a Korean War veteran in Rosebud, Texas. The fine was over $4,000.00 -- a staggering sum for a grandmother raising four young grandchildren on less than $2,000.00 per month. The case was set for jury trial and law student Allen Waddell, a combat veteran who has his third year bar card, assisted in trial strategy, preparation, and the drafting of a motion for a directed verdict. Much to the widow's relief, the prosecutor dismissed the case on the eve of trial.

This summer, volunteers at the Veterans Clinic drafted and executed estate planning documents for fifteen veterans and their spouses, three of whom were World War II veterans. Law students Kate Broussard, Javier Cabanillas, and Katie Lacy drafted many of the wills with oversight from Baylor Law School Professor Tom Featherston, Career Development Director Daniel Hare, and Clinic Director Josh Borderud.

Related:
Baylor Law School's Pro Bono and Public Service Programs
Baylor Law School Veterans Clinic
Baylor Law School's Veterans Assistance Clinic Receives Grant from State Bar of Texas

Stephen Rispoli, Assistant Dean of Pro Bono Programs at Baylor Law School, gives legal advise to the spouse of a veteran.

The American Bar Association highlights the need for programs like the Baylor Law School Veterans Clinic in the 2016 "Report on the Future of Legal Services in America." This report found that more than 100 million low and middle-income Americans are unable to afford legal representation for cases relating to basic human needs. Basic human needs are defined in the report as cases related to shelter, sustenance, safety, health, and child custody. Alongside civilians are 21.8 million military veterans, many of whom cannot afford to see a lawyer. "The lack of access to lawyers and the courts is a rule of law issue, and this 'access to justice gap' is of significant concern to lawyers across the country," said Stephen Rispoli, Assistant Dean of Pro Bono Programs. "Our Veterans Clinic is a significant step taken by Baylor Law School to address the needs and issues outlined in the ABA's Report. We are honored to have the support of the Texas Access to Justice Commission so that we can help address the access to justice gap and serve one of the most deserving constituencies in our society."

The Baylor Law School Veteran Clinic is funded primarily by a grant from the Texas Access to Justice Commission. Baylor Law School Professor Bridget Fuselier, who founded the program in 2012, said: "We are incredibly grateful to be able to provide meaningful legal services to veterans in our community. With the grant from the Texas Access to Justice Commission," she continued, "it is possible to have a full time attorney like Josh Borderud working with our students and achieving positive results. Josh has been a tremendous addition to this program and the students and veterans are benefitting from his commitment to serving others."

If you are a veteran with a civil legal issue, please contact the clinic at 254-710-4244 or Veterans_Clinic@baylor.edu. The Veterans Clinic is located at the Heart of Texas Veterans One Stop at 2010 La Salle Avenue in Waco, Texas.