Missouri Launches Free Legal Help for Veterans

The attorney general's office and University of Missouri Law School are partnering on a pro bono program for Missouri veterans getting underway in 2026.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Military Jobs

Missouri Launches Free Legal Help for Veterans

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The Missouri attorney general's office and University of Missouri Law School are launching the DEFENDERS program, which provides pro bono legal services to Missouri veterans. The partnership is getting underway this year.

Why it matters

Veterans often face disability, insurance, consumer, and landlord disputes that require legal help they may not be able to afford. The program adds free legal resources in Missouri, where the Veterans Clinic already handles a large caseload.

The University of Missouri Law Veterans Clinic has handled more than 200 active cases at a time. The program relies mostly on volunteer hours from lawyers and law students, and the source does not report how many volunteer hours are committed.

The players

Catherine Hanaway

Missouri Attorney General who said her office is prepared to allocate more resources to the DEFENDERS program if need grows.

University of Missouri Law School

The law school at the University of Missouri, which operates the Veterans Clinic that partners with the attorney general's office on the DEFENDERS program.

The details

Law students at the University of Missouri Law Veterans Clinic help veterans file disability and insurance claims for free while working under the guidance of full-time attorneys. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said her office is prepared to allocate more resources to the program if demand grows.

2026: DEFENDERS partnership gets underway.

Military Jobs Context

The University of Missouri Law Veterans Clinic already handles more than 200 active veteran cases through student-led work under attorney supervision. The DEFENDERS program extends that model statewide by pairing the attorney general's office with the law school to serve veterans across Missouri.

Missouri veterans facing disability, insurance, consumer, or landlord disputes can seek free help through the DEFENDERS program once it gets underway in 2026. Veterans can also contact the attorney general's office about consumer complaints and landlord issues.

The takeaway

Veterans facing legal problems with benefits, insurance, or housing now have a new state-backed option for free help. Anyone eligible should check how the DEFENDERS program will take cases once it launches this year.