Each year, the Standing Committee on Legal Assistance to Military Personnel has the honour of selecting recipients of the AMP Distinguished Service Awards. The individuals selected for the award are individuals and entities who have set the bar for military legal assistance by making themselves known and promoting their practices in an exceptional manner. Mr. Seltzer has demonstrated his commitment to clients and the broader military community. He worked tirelessly for more than eighteen months researching and advocating for a change in New Jersey Department of Taxation policies that penalized non-resident service members. In the spring of 2019, a tax bulletin amended the definition of “permanent residence” to exclude housing paid for by government housing allowances. This change, which was made without legislation or public notice, resulted in several legal aid clients receiving communications alleging that they had not properly registered as non-residents. Lord. Seltzer`s efforts, both internally, in collaboration with the Army Legal Aid Policy Division and the Armed Forces Tax Board, and externally to find a New Jersey attorney resulted in New Jersey reversing the rule change and initiating reimbursements to affected military personnel.
M. Seltzer has demonstrated other notable accomplishments, such as advocating for legislation unanimously approved by the Maryland General Assembly to extend the property tax exemption to 100% disabled veterans, as well as his ongoing advocacy for an exemption from approval of Maryland`s wiretapping law that would allow survivors of domestic violence to admit audio recordings as corroborating evidence. These efforts reflect the dedication and attention to detail that Mr. Seltzer brings to his work every day. Captain Joyclin Webster, Head of Civil Law at Ellsworth Air Force Base, has made it his daily mission to provide his clients with the highest level of legal assistance. During her tenure, where she led Ellsworth AFB`s legal aid program, she went above and beyond to ensure that every potential client received the support they needed. Capt Webster ensured that 1,072 clients received the highest level of legal aid and personally assisted 295 clients, with 290 wills drafted saving them $197,000. In addition, his extraordinary efforts saved the Basic Tax Centre by finding a new facility at the last minute, working to renovate it for confidential technical and consulting needs, training volunteers, and overseeing day-to-day operations. As a result of Capt Webster`s efforts, more than 500 pilots, retirees and dependents in Ellsworth received $766,118 in tax refunds and saved more than $65,000 in tax preparation costs. Capt Webster joined four different squadrons for four days to ensure that his members, who were responsible for short-term assignments, each had a will, power of attorney and access to counsel.
With only one week`s notice, Capt Webster hosted legal support events that prepared the wills of more than 120 airmen on the eve of their deployment, supporting every pre-deployment functional line and providing legal advice to more than 650 airmen. There has never been a problem too small or a customer too short term for Capt Webster to help. The Western Pacific Legal Aid Department of the Regional Bureau of Legal Services (RLSO) has renewed and adapted its practice to provide legal assistance to our country`s Advanced Service members during the ongoing pandemic. RLSO Western Pacific has partnered with Department of Homeland Security officials to resume military naturalizations in Japan for the first time since October 2019. These efforts resulted in 121 naturalization interviews and 105 new Americans at Western Pacific RLSO events. The Legal Aid Division focused on personnel service in the Western Pacific by conducting 100 deployments for nearly 3,700 soldiers, retirees, Department of Defence civilians and dependents. SRO Western Pacific has also enhanced its preventative legal documents in an effort to answer common questions from potential clients without the need for a lawyer appointment. This resulted in 19 updated documents and eight new ones. The Legal Aid Department has also used technology to improve service to foreign clients by piloting a special proxy printing program and saving resources by creating a digital, fillable form to meet the requirements of marriage in Japan.
Over the course of 2021, RLSO Western Pacific has adapted to the challenges of providing legal assistance in a COVID-19 environment abroad. The department has set the standard for excellence and service for the fleet. Ms. Lisa J. Johnson, Paralegal, Naval Legal Services Bureau (NLSO) Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida The Soldier and Family Legal Services Division at Fort Rucker (United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence) maintained a high-quality legal assistance program through flexible and innovative solutions with limited staff. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Fort Rucker Soldier and Family Legal Office continued to provide timely legal services to the local community through a combination of effective in-person appointments and virtual interactions. The Office integrated and refined its virtual appointment operations as part of its legal aid services, allowing it to provide legal aid services without interruption when the Office was limited by pandemic response efforts. In 2021, the office registered 451 clients and provided 2,085 services worth nearly $1 million. In addition, the Fort Rucker Tax Center processed more than 1,252 federal and state tax returns with tax refunds totaling $1,731,852. The office also took on difficult and innovative mutual legal assistance cases and intensified its efforts to maintain relationships with other legal aid offices, commandos and various settlement organizations.