Claude M. “Mickey” Kicklighter Jr. of Springfield has been appointed to a special State Bar of Georgia committee charged with the task of identifying and addressing unmet legal needs of the state’s military service members, reservists, veterans and their families.

“The Pro Bono for Military Veterans and Service Members Committee is working hard on the design of a comprehensive program that encourages Georgia lawyers to stand in the gap between legal services available to on-duty military personnel and unmet needs,” state bar president Jeffrey O. Bramlett said.

The new, volunteer committee is comprised of lawyers from across Georgia, many of whom have both military experience and abiding interest in military and veterans law.

“Georgia lawyers are grateful for the military service of our troops and returning veterans,” Bramlett said. “This committee is looking for ways lawyers can personally and voluntarily give of themselves to eliminate the gaps where service members and veterans are not getting the legal help they need. We are informing ourselves about the complexities of working across the lines of the various branches of the military service and the differing needs of national guard, reservists and active duty personnel.

“We are focused on making the Georgia lawyers who decide to participate in this effort the best-trained and best-prepared attorneys in the United States to meet these needs. The committee is mindful that we have before us an opportunity for Georgia lawyers to say thanks to our service members and veterans for all they do, often at significant personal sacrifice, to protect our country.”