Veterans get free legal advice at monthly event Published April 17, 2015 By Ryan Stark Nucleus writer KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Half a dozen veterans waited in chairs just outside the large meeting room at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial Visitor Center on Tuesday. They were waiting to meet with attorneys offering free legal advice. The State Bar of New Mexico's Young Lawyers Division presents the session, which is offered at the memorial the second Tuesday of each month. The lawyers volunteer to meet with veterans and offer advice. Ken Stalter, chair of the Young Lawyer's Division, said lawyers most often volunteer because they are gratitude for veterans' service to the nation. "The motivation is the fact that the bar appreciates their military service," he said. "We want to help them now with the various challenges they are facing." The monthly event averages around 50 veterans in search of legal advice, Stalter said. Usually there are about 15 volunteer lawyers on hand for the event, he said. There are often lawyers specializing in family law, consumer law, disability and more, Stalter said. The most common concerns among veterans are issues concerning debt and VA benefits, he said, but vets bring in a great variety of issues. "They can be asking about anything when they come here," he said. "The range of issues that we cover in a day is pretty impressive." Navy Veteran Fernando Nava was one of the veterans seeking advice on Tuesday. He came in because he feels the bank wrongfully foreclosed upon his home. He said he wanted to know about a legal remedy and if there are federal programs adopted after the 2008 recession that may help. "I'm trying to see what my recourse is," Nava said. "I want to see if I qualify." The next legal clinic will be May 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at the memorial, which is at 1100 Louisiana Blvd. SE, near Kirtland's Gibson gate. For more information, call Lisa Anderson at 908-0383, or Camila Lopez at 265-1711, ext. 3434.