Editorial: Helping veterans

Politicians make all kinds of promises, some they can’t keep, others they won’t keep and still others that they have no intention of keeping.

That’s why it’s refreshing when an elected official actually follows through on one of his campaign pledges.

On Monday at the Texas Station, 10 attorneys set up shop to help military veterans navigate the legal paperwork required for various civil matters, including wills or powers of attorney. They offered their services for free, or pro bono.

The initiative was the brainchild of Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, who included it as part of his 2014 campaign platform. Mr. Laxalt told the Review-Journal’s Melissa Gomez that he got the ball rolling shortly after being elected and that every private law firm he contacted agreed to donate 10 hours of service to help military veterans.

In March, he established the Office of Military Legal Assistance. The office will hold periodic workshops throughout Nevada to assist veterans with legal issues.

“We’re a small enough state that if you’ve got the initiative and have a good idea, you can push something through in under a year,” said Mr. Laxalt, who previously served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.

The American Bar Association lists a handful of organizations that provide legal aid to veterans, and there are several independent efforts in various states. But this is the first such program in the country to be offered through a state attorney general’s office.

“We’re able to step into that gap,” said Wes Duncan, Nevada’s first assistant attorney general, “and provide a service to people who are serving us, or have served us in the past.”

Kudos to Mr.. Laxalt for following through on this worthwhile endeavor.