Making it in the MilLife

By Mary Reding, Esq.

On February 6, the American Bar Association’s policy making body voted unanimously to reduce licensing barriers for military spouses in the legal profession.

The passage of Resolution 108 confirms that the ABA recognizes the military lifestyle presents unique challenges to the practice of law. The support of the legal community meets the challenge set by the White House Joining Forces Initiative.

Resolution 108 identifies ways that the legal profession can support lawyers who are married to service members.

The Resolution calls on state bar authorities to adopt admission without examination rules for qualified military spouse lawyers in the state due to their spouses’ military orders.

Resolution 108 also encourages a review of state bar applications, fees and admission procedures to ensure they are not unduly burdensome to military spouse applicants.

In addition, the Resolution promotes the establishment of a mentorship program to welcome military spouse lawyers to a new legal community.

The MSJDN is leading the rule change initiative in each of the 50 states. Members of MSJDN are working closely with bar associations around the country to follow the recommendations of the ABA.

The MSJDN encourages all attorneys to contact their local and state bar associations to request that military spouse admission without examination be treated as a top priority.

Mary Reding, Esq and Hon. Erin Wirth co-founded the Military Spouse JD Network to reduce the barriers to the practice of law for military spouses. More information can be found at www.MilitarySpouseJDNetwork.org.

MOAA is proud to support the MSJDN and Resolution 108.

Update:  Following Monday’s historic vote, Idaho became the first state to pass a rule change allowing military spouse admission to the bar.

By:  Karen Golden, Deputy Director, Governement Relations (Military Family Issues)

After 10 years of war, are we meeting the needs of our military families? If not, what can we do to meet them? These questions need to be answered at the Military Family Readiness Council meetings, but after three years, we’re still waiting.

Congress created this council in 2008 to evaluate military family programs and make recommendations to improve vital family resources. Mandated to meet at least twice a year, the council is required to submit a progress report to Congress every February.

Instead, the council has been used only for information sharing — on the rare occasions it actually meets. In 2008 and 2009, the council met and established its charter and bylaws. The council also submitted an extensive report to Congress on the status of family readiness programs. It provided a summary of plans for the programs and assessment results of select family readiness programs based on DOD-wide goals and metrics.

In both 2010 and 2011, the council met only a single time. At the 2011 meeting, council chair Dr. Joanne Rooney, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, offered a list of “focal areas” unchanged from 2010: Spouse Employment and Empowerment, Education Development and Excellence, Childcare, Healthcare, Strategic Communications, Disability and Evaluation System, Dwell Time and the Exceptional Family Member Program.

But the council offered no assessments or problem-solving decisions discussed. So where’s the “focus?”

The council is comprised of the service vice chiefs of staff, senior enlisted advisors, officials from each reserve component and representatives of three military service organizations: The Armed Services YMCA, National Military Family Association, and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. With this distinguished group of leaders at the table, it’s time for action and decisions. At a time when budget cuts loom, we’re past the point of simple information-sharing.

The council should live up to its statutory mandate to meet at least twice a year and make recommendations for action. Failing to do so sends the wrong message to our families. How can we stress the importance of family readiness at the small-unit level, when the DOD and service leaders themselves fail to make this council a priority?

In the past, congressional committee members have encouraged the creation of a Military Family Readiness Council website to enhance council transparency. Families should know who the council members are, when it meets and outcomes of any meetings. In addition, such a website could be used for families to provide feedback on family readiness programs.

Defense and service leaders need to “walk the walk” as well as “talk the talk” when it comes to recognizing and easing the extraordinary sacrifices of military families. Military service organizations stand ready to help.

But if we’re to make any real progress, Pentagon leaders should expect no less from themselves than they do from their unit leaders.

This blog first appeared as an Op-Ed on Stars and Stripes’ Ruptured Duck Blog (January 2012)