(JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 24, 2023) — Attorney Jacalyn Crecelius has joined Jacksonville Area Legal Aid as leader of its Veterans Legal Services Unit, which launched in 2019 in connection with a statewide Florida Veterans Legal Helpline funded through the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve as the Veterans attorney with JALA,” Crecelius said. “My goal is to further develop the unit into one that veterans and those advocating for them know they can trust for honest, strong, and compassionate support.”
Prior to working at JALA, Crecelius worked as an attorney in the areas of family law, security clearance defense, and insurance/healthcare law. She has practiced locally with Florida Women’s Law Group and The Edmunds Law Firm.
Crecelius has represented clients in county and circuit court and argued in administrative hearings in front of various federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense and State and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
She graduated from Otterbein University with a B.A., magna cum laude, in psychology in 2008 and received her J.D. from the University of Toledo College of Law in 2012. Most recently, she received her M.A. in Governance and Human Rights from Leuphana University of Lueneburg (Germany).
“We are glad we were able to bring someone with Jacalyn’s experience on board at JALA. As someone whose father was career Navy, I am very focused on JALA’s ability to provide assistance to this population throughout Northeast Florida,” stated Jim Kowalski, President & CEO of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
Studies conducted by the Veterans Administration demonstrate the high rate of legal issues for veterans: 5 of the top 10 unmet needs for male homeless veterans require civil legal assistance, and for female homeless veterans that figure is 4 of the top 10.
The Florida Veterans Legal Helpline provides a convenient point of access for Florida veterans for legal issues relating to housing, family law and child support, driver’s license suspensions, disability and veterans’ benefits, expungement, and more.
“There are over 150,000 veterans in Northeast Florida, by far the largest concentration in a state that ranks third in veteran population,” Crecelius said. “At its core, the legal profession is an industry of service, and it’s only right that those who served our country have equal access to it.”
Northeast Florida veterans can apply for legal assistance at www.jaxlegalaid.org/apply/ or call the Florida Veterans Legal Helpline at 1-866-486-6161.
About Jacksonville Area Legal Aid
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is a nonprofit law firm focused on delivering economic, social, and housing justice to low-income and at-risk individuals and families on the First Coast.
If you are an attorney wanting to volunteer with probate and heirs property issues, contact JALA Pro Bono Director Aaron Irving, at (904) 356-8371, Ext. 363, or Aaron.Irving@jaxlegalaid.org.
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