AMVETS Legal Clinic
Special Events

USNS Matthew Perry Naval Boat Christening 

The AMVETS Legal Clinic was honored to be invited as “distinguished guests” to a naval christening and launch ceremony of the USNS Matthew Perry on August 16, 2009 in San Diego. The Lewis-and-Clark class dry cargo ship will join the Military Sealift Command’s naval fleet auxiliary force to deliver food, ammunition, fuel and supplies to the same class of deployed ships.  A crew of 124 civil service mariners and 11 sailors will operate the 689 foot long long ship, which weighs 42,000 tons. Professor Kyndra Rotunda  and Kiana Boyce attended the event, along with two colleagues from the San Diego AMVETS Legal Clinic's satellite office, Gayle Morelan and Erin Wolgamott.

Kiana Boyce and Professor Kyndra Rotunda with the USNS Matthew Perry		Gayle Morelan, Erin Wolgamott, Kyndra Rotunda and Kiana Boyce at the christening event for the USNS Matthew Perry

Iraq Star Benefit

Professors Kyndra and Ronald Rotunda attended the Iraq Star Benefit on October 4, 2009 in Los Angeles. Iraq Star is a non-profit organization that provides reconstructive surgery to service members who have sustained war injuries. More than 40,000 men and women have returned wounded from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the army provides prosthetic limbs and surgery to relieve scarring from burns, many soldiers endure traumatic physical and mental affects from their injuries. Iraq Star provides necessary surgeries to help them regain a sense of normalcy and confidence to continue their post-war lives.

Professors Kyndra and Ron Rotunda with actor Gary Sinise at the Iraq Star Benefit		Kyndra Rotunda with talk show host Dennis Miller at the Iraq Star Benefit

AMVETS of California Check Presentation

In July 2009, AMVETS Department of California, a national nonprofit veterans support group founded by World War II veterans, approved a 5-year $2.5 million commitment to Chapman University School of Law’s Military Personnel Law Center and AMVETS Legal Clinic. Their generous donation will help the law center and clinic to provide free legal representation to military veterans, service members and California’s 200,000 military families who face private disputes not covered by the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.