Columbus attorney Butler takes lead in establishing legal services clinic for veterans at UGA

A lead gift from Columbus attorney James. E. “Jim” Butler Jr. is leading the way in establishing a Veterans Legal Services Clinic at the University of Georgia Law School.

The action was announced on the University of Georgia website Wednesday.

Other Columbus attorneys are also playing a role.

In an article by Heidi Murphy, Butler said he made the lead gift in memory of his father Lt. Cmdr. James E. Butler Sr. who was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy.

According to the report, the clinic will provide veterans in Georgia with legal assistance they might not otherwise have access to or be able to afford, with particular regard to denied or deferred claims before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It also includes an educational scholarship component.

Overseen by a clinic director serving as a managing attorney, the unit will be staffed by law students who will work directly by veterans and their dependents to ensure access to benefits and services, especially for those with mental or physical disabilities resulting from their time in the military.

In Murphy’s story Butler says, “This clinic will help us do right by those who have served our nation and who deserve to live a life of dignity, autonomy and stability. If we can do that, we will make an incredible difference in the quality of life for these honorable men and women.”

Four members of the law school’s board of visitors have joined Butler in support of the new clinic including Butler’s partner Joel O.Wooten Jr., Kenneth M. Henson Jr., G. Sanders Griffith III and Pete Robinson.

For much more on this story go here.

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Columbus attorney Butler takes lead in establishing legal services clinic for veterans at UGA."