Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs presents $100,000 Veterans Cash grant to help establish The John Marshall Veterans Legal Support Center and Clinic

CHICAGO - Tammy Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) presented The John Marshall Veterans Legal Support Center and Clinic with a $100,000 Veterans Cash grant today.  The grant will go towards the establishment of the Center, which will be dedicated to serving the legal needs of Veterans and current service men and women. 

The Veterans Cash lottery ticket is the state's first scratch-off lottery ticket where 100 percent of the proceeds go to non-profit organizations that help provide a wide range of services to Illinois Veterans including health care, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment, disability benefits, and housing assistance. 

"The Veterans Cash lottery ticket has helped us improve the services that are offered to our brave Veterans across the state," said IDVA Director Tammy Duckworth.  "I am pleased to present the John Marshall Veterans Legal Support Center and Clinic with this Veterans Cash grant.  The Center will provide Illinois Veterans with quality legal services to ensure that they get the disability and educational benefits they have rightfully earned.  I also want to encourage all other non-profit organizations that serve our Veterans to make sure they apply for a Veterans Cash grant so that together, we can continue to improve the services that are available to our Veterans."

The Veterans Cash grant presented to The John Marshall Veterans Legal Support Center and Clinic today will help fund the newly developed Center.   The Center will recruit and train lawyers who will then provide services to Illinois Veterans needing to obtain legal support and help with their claims process on a pro bono basis.
 
The John Marshall Veterans Legal Center and Clinic is a result of a group effort of Illinois' legal community and state government.  Contributing to the initiative includes the Illinois Supreme Court; the Illinois Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism; The John Marshall Law School; the Illinois State Bar Association; Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and the State of Illinois; and the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago and other bar groups.
 
"We are excited we've created a learning environment at The John Marshall Law School where students are supported in their extracurricular and volunteer efforts that will not only make them better lawyers through practical experience, but also will provide much-needed legal assistance to our Veterans," said John Marshall Law School Dean John E. Corkery. 

Launched by Governor Blagojevich in February 2006, Veterans Cash is the Lottery's first lottery ticket where 100 percent of proceeds go to support Illinois Veterans.  Proceeds from the sale of this ticket are deposited into an interest bearing account in the State Treasury called the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund.  IDVA awards the money in grants to fund additional services or conduct research relating to Veterans' Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, homelessness, health insurance costs, and disability benefits.

The Veterans Cash ticket raised more than $3 million for the Illinois Veterans' Assistance Trust Fund in 2006.  Combined with the proceeds from this year's previous ticket, Two for the Dough, the newer version of Veterans Cash ticket is expected to generate more than $3 million this year for Veteran services throughout the state.

Veterans Cash is currently available at all Illinois Lottery retail locations.  Each ticket costs $2 and has a top prize of $20,000.

For more information on Veterans Cash please visit the Illinois Lottery website at www.illinoislottery.com or for more information on Illinois veteran programs and initiatives or to apply for a Veterans Cash grant, visit the IDVA website at www.state.il.us/agency/dva.