News Release
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law's Project SALUTE honored by 110th Fighter Wing
Flag Flown Over Iraq to be Presented to Project SALUTE; School’s “Mobile Law Office” on National Tour to Provide Pro Bono Assistance on Federal Benefits Issues to Veterans
Detroit, December 7, 2008 – In honor of the school’s Project SALUTE, the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (UDM Law) will be presented with an American flag that flew over Iraq by the Air National Guard 110th Fighter Wing of Battle Creek. The presentation will take place before the Detroit Lions game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 7.
During the past year, UDM Law has toured the country in its Mobile Law Office (MLO), providing free legal information and assistance to ensure representation to thousands of low-income veterans on federal disability and pension benefit matters.
This summer, the 110th Fighter Wing deployed its A-10 Thunderbolts to Iraq. Air Force Lt. Colonel Lisa Ryan, wife of UDM Law student Sean Ryan, requested the American flag be flown in honor of Project SALUTE. The 110th Fighter Wing’s Commander honored that request on June 20.
UDM Law is the only law school in the country with an MLO, a Recreational Vehicle that has been outfitted as a law office. For the Project SALUTE national tour, General Motors donated a specially designed, state-of-the-art RV that follows ADA accessibility guidelines, including a wheel-chair lift, oversize bathroom and same-level floor throughout the coach.
“It’s a great honor to accept this flag from the Air National Guard 110th Fighter Wing of Battle Creek,” said UDM Law Dean Mark Gordon. “We are proud to be part of a national effort to assist veterans, but we realize there is more work to be done. We will continue to speak with veterans around the country as part of our Project SALUTE and will assist those veterans in need in any way we can.”
Through Project SALUTE, volunteer attorneys and UDM Law faculty and students have counseled and/or otherwise assisted approximately 2,000 veterans over the past year during over 80 stops in Michigan, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New York, California, and Tennessee. Over the next several months, UDM Law’s Project SALUTE will be visiting locations in Georgia, Texas, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, and South Carolina, among others. While on tour, UDM Law students and faculty provide educational information to veterans regarding their federal veterans benefits, meet individually with veterans requesting assistance with their particular issues, and provide training to local attorneys willing to assist veterans pro bono with federal benefits claims.
The UDM Veterans Law Clinic is based in Michigan. It only provides assistance related to state issues under Michigan law and/or to federal veterans benefits issues. When in states other than Michigan, the MLO will only provide assistance with respect to federal veterans benefits issues.
About University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
Founded in 1912, UDM is a Catholic law school sponsored by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. The school is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. UDM recently received the prestigious 2006 Judy M. Weightman Award, from the ABA’s Student Lawyer Division, in recognition of the school’s outstanding public interest programs and contribution to the community. In addition, UDM Law recently was one of five law schools in the nation honored by the National Jurist in its January, 2007 issue with a listing on the National Jurist Clinical Honor Roll.
Located in the heart of downtown Detroit, the School is within walking distance of federal and state courts, law firms, and the city's municipal centers. The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law is committed to the principles of equal educational opportunity.
For more information about UDM Law, please visit www.law.udmercy.edu or call 1-888-UDM-LAW4.
Release date: November 03, 2008
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