PORTLAND — Pine Tree Legal Assistance has received a new federal grant that will help the organization better understand the challenges faced by underserved women veterans. Using this research, Pine Tree will then develop a new online tool to empower underserved women veterans to assert their legal rights.

“Too often, veterans are unaware of the protections that uphold their legal and economic rights. This is particularly true for women veterans,” said Nan Heald, executive director of Pine Tree Legal Assistance. “Through this project, Pine Tree strives to empower veterans, particularly underserved women veterans, to assert their legal protections.”

Pine Tree launched StatesideLegal.org in 2010 with the goal of providing all veterans and military families with user-friendly information about their legal rights. The website includes a comprehensive library of self-help tools, legal information and resources.

“Pine Tree Legal Assistance is a national leader in using technology to assist veterans in need of legal help. This grant will allow it to enhance the services offered by its invaluable veterans’ legal assistance website, StatesideLegal.org, by providing new tools specifically for women veterans.” said Jim Sandman, president of Legal Services Corp., the agency awarding the grant.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance is a statewide, nonprofit law firm based in Portland.  Its mission is to ensure that state and federal laws affecting poor people are upheld, while also addressing the systemic barriers to justice faced by Mainers with low incomes. To achieve this end, Pine Tree provides free civil legal assistance in cases where it can make a difference in meeting basic human needs or in enforcing basic rights, including access to housing, food, income, safety, education and healthcare.