The University of Georgia law school has named the first leader of a new clinic to help veterans with legal matters.

Alexander Scherr, currently associate dean for clinical programs and experiential learning, will become the inaugural director of the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, the law school announced Thursday. The clinic will begin serving clients this summer, with a particular focus on helping them with denied or deferred claims before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“I am tremendously happy to have our most senior-ranking clinical faculty member leading our Veterans Legal Services Clinic,” School of Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge said in a news release. “The work of the clinic will benefit those who have served our nation and their families. Alex is the ideal person to set up the structure and fine-tune the mission of clinic as it goes from conception to reality and begins to improve the lives of many.”

Scherr joined the UGA law faculty in 1996 as its first director of civil clinics. Since that time, he has played an instrumental role in the school's clinical services and public interest offerings including the establishment of six of its current experiential learning programs, Rutledge said.

The clinic was funded by a lead gift from 1977 law school alumnus James “Jim” Butler Jr., in memory of his father, Lt. Cmdr. James E. Butler Sr., who was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy. Butler Sr. also was the grandfather of James “Jeb” Butler III, a 2008 graduate of the law school.

The clinic will be staffed by law students who will work under Scherr's direction with veterans and their dependents to help ensure access to benefits and services, especially for those with mental or physical disabilities resulting from their time in the military. Said Rutledge, “The students who participate in the clinic will have a tangible impact on the lives of these veterans and their families while receiving real-world training that will better equip them for their careers.”