Veterans Law Clinic Honors the Past by Defending the Present
When Detroit Mercy Law launched the Veterans Law Clinic in 2008, the mission was clear: Serve those who served. The clinic, one of the first for veterans in the nation, launched in response to a growing awareness of veterans as an underserved population facing significant legal challenges.
BRINGING JUSTICE NATIONWIDE: INSPIRING A NATIONAL MOVEMENT
In the clinic’s early years, similar initiatives emerged across the country in response to overwhelming demand and a widespread lack of legal services for veterans—signaling a growing national movement. Peggy Costello, the clinic’s founding director and retired associate professor of law, traveled around the country to train other clinicians. Shortly thereafter, Detroit Mercy Law launched Project SALUTE, a mobile law office that delivered free legal services to veterans across the nation and trained pro bono attorneys to handle their cases.
Amanda Pertusati '13 is among the earliest veterans law clinicians. “My experience shaped my career,” she said. “When I started law school, I never expected to end up in veterans law—it wasn’t even on my radar.”
After graduation, inspired by her work with the clinic and Project SALUTE, she moved to California to complete an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps fellowship in veterans law. “I loved working with veterans around the nation and helping them with VA benefits issues on the spot during clinic days,” recalled Pertusati. “It was incredibly rewarding to know that they left with something substantive accomplished—not just basic counsel or advice, or a list of things to do on their own.”
“I learned empathy—how to truly listen and connect with clients—and how to write and argue on their behalf in a way that highlighted their resilience and empowered them. The foundation I built in the clinic has guided my work and commitment to serving others ever since.”
For nearly a decade, Pertusati continued providing legal services to veterans and others at Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm in Los Angeles, most recently serving as Interim Directing Attorney. Now as an attorney with the California Public Utilities Commission, she continues a career in public service, inspired by her clinic experience.
THOUSANDS OF VETERANS SERVED
The clinic remains in high demand, providing free legal assistance to low-income military veterans, their families, and survivors seeking benefits for service-connected disabilities and discharge upgrades. Student clinicians gain experience practicing before the Department of Veterans Affairs. In recent years, the clinic has focused on veterans in Michigan, with the majority residing in the metro Detroit area—demonstrating a strong commitment to serving those who have served within our community.
JOIN THE MISSION: INVEST IN THE VETERANS LAW CLINIC
As the Veterans Law Clinic moves forward, its commitment remains unchanged: Honor the past by defending the present—one veteran, one case, one student at a time.
Donations to the Veterans Law Clinic help offset costs of expert specialists, medical evaluations, and essential transportation, ensuring that veterans receive the comprehensive legal support they need.