ATLANTA – Military veterans challenging a disability benefits decision don’t have to go to battle alone in Georgia.

Hundreds of attorneys across the state stand ready to help, and now a third college – the University of Georgia – has announced plans to open a legal clinic focused on veterans next year.

Georgia – with a little more than 752,000 veterans – has the ninth largest veterans population in the country. A significant number of them have returned home with service-related disabilities, whether physical, psychological or neurological. 

“Many of them are eligible for services or assistance through the Department of Veterans Affairs, but it’s not always easy to get the services and benefits you’re entitled to, for a variety of reasons,” said Randy Beck, a law professor at UGA.

The clinic plans to focus initially on claims that have been denied or deferred. A lingering backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs can mean lengthy delays that span years.

“They’ve made progress,” Beck said, referring to the federal government. “But there’s still a whole lot of claims that haven’t been processed or they’ve been denied initially and are still in the appellate pipeline somewhere. 

“We’re hoping we can help them in addressing that issue,” he added.

About a half million veterans are left in limbo because of the backlog, according to Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson’s Office. A bill updating the VA benefits claims appeals process, introduced by Isakson, was signed into law this week. 

“For far too long, our veterans have faced unacceptable delays in their claims appeals,” Isakson, who chairs the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said in a statement.

Other barriers for veterans can be a less-than-honorable discharge status. Veterans are often not aware of the services and benefits available.

“A lot of veterans don’t know where to turn,” said Rep. Bill Hitchens, R-Rincon, who chairs the Georgia House Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee and who is also a Vietnam veteran.

Trying to take on a large bureaucratic system alone can seem overwhelming, and instead of fighting a claim denial, many veterans give up and just go without the assistance and services – which can often lead to other setbacks, Hitchens said. 

The Athens clinic may be able to help veterans upgrade their discharge status, if it can be proven the offending behavior was tied to a service-related injury, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

The clinic, which will partner with the school’s department of psychology, will also try to connect with “a large group of silent veterans” – those who experience PTSD but do not seek treatment, according to a proposal document. The goal, according to the document, is to reach out to those veterans “before a crisis emerges.”

Beck led an advisory committee that helped shape the proposal for the clinic, which will be similar to efforts already underway at Emory University and Georgia State University. A full-time faculty member will oversee the clinic.

Students who work at the clinic will earn credit and gain experience in administrative law. But Beck said he hopes aspiring lawyers will also learn the value of providing legal services to those who have difficulty accessing the aid. 

“This seems to be a great way to help people develop that understanding of what they should do with a law degree,” Beck said.

The clinic, which will primarily focus on the immediate 15-county area, was made possible through a donation from an alumnus and attorney, James E. “Jim” Butler Jr. 

UGA’s legal clinic will join a legion of attorneys in Georgia who help veterans with their legal needs. The State Bar of Georgia, for example, connects veterans as well as active-duty military with attorneys who are willing to lend their aid for free or at a reduced rate. 

About 750 attorneys from across the state participate in the program, said Norman Zoller, who heads the program and who is a Vietnam veteran.

About 2,000 connections have been made since the program started in 2009. About half of the cases dealt with family-law issues, such as divorces. The program’s attorneys have also handled hundreds of VA benefit cases. 

“One out of 10 people who live in Georgia is either in military now or used to be in the military. Those are not inconsequential numbers,” said Zoller, who also served on the Beck advisory committee.  

“I don’t think those needs are going to go away,” he said.

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach her at jnolin@cnhi.com.