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As the nation honors its war veterans this weekend, those returning from Afghanistan and Iraq face a precarious system of services they have earned through active duty. Legal services are no exception.

Accessing those services in Oregon was often easier said than done, especially after an inquiry from the state Attorney General鈥檚 Office led to the disintegration of the Oregon War Veteran鈥檚 Association. The group served as a key advocate for veterans in Oregon.

Recently, however, the Oregon State Bar stepped forward to take up the legislative work the association used to handle. The Bar created the new Lawyers for Veterans Steering Committee, which already is working on getting two bills in front of legislators in Salem.

Chris Kent, a partner with Portland-based Kent & Johnson and chairman of the steering committee, was among those who earlier this week testified before the Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs. The committee is advocating for a mitigating factor judges could use in sentencing veteran defendants who have suffered traumatic brain injuries or have post-traumatic stress disorder. The other bill further strengthens the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which protects active duty members from unscrupulous creditors and landlords, among other things.

Veterans鈥� rights as whole have improved over the years, Kent said. But he鈥檚 also quick to add that when it comes to making sure vets have access to the services those rights provide, the legal system is still playing catch up.

鈥淭he number of experienced practitioners who are capable of taking those cases on is very small,鈥� Kent said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure you can count on one hand the number of people in Oregon who are able to handle veterans鈥� disability claims. We have a lot of legal talent in the state, and part of what we鈥檙e trying to do is educate ourselves, and give ourselves the right legal tools to provide that representation.鈥�

The Bar has sponsored CLEs on the subject in the past and has another scheduled in June. Among those who help educate other attorneys about the issue is Salem attorney Jesse Barton, also a member of the steering committee and a veteran himself. Barton, who is a military vet, said that although public awareness of veterans鈥� rights has improved, money for veterans鈥� programs is scarce and veterans鈥� political clout is dwindling.

鈥淵ounger veterans just aren鈥檛 as politically engaged as the World War II and Vietnam and Korean War guys were,鈥� Barton said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not to say the younger veterans aren鈥檛 engaged at all, but maybe just not in the same way.

鈥淚t used to be that a big group of veterans would show up at the Legislature in support of certain bills. We just don鈥檛 see that as much anymore, and the depth and breadth of support for veterans鈥� issues just isn鈥檛 the same.鈥�