September 28, 2023

Community Legal Aid Welcomes U.S. Air Force Veteran as Staff Attorney Serving Hampden & Hampshire County Communities

BY Corrine Ryan, CLA managing Attorney, Springfieldcryan@cla-ma.org

Community Legal Aid, the non-profit civil legal aid program serving the low-income and elderly residents of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester Counties, has welcomed U.S. Air Force Veteran Isaac (“Zeke”) Kennen as a Staff Attorney assisting veterans with a range of civil (non-criminal) legal matters. Attorney Kennen joins Community Legal Aid’s Veterans Unit, which over the past six years has provided legal assistance to veterans and their families in a variety of cases involving housing, veteran-specific benefits, family law, access to healthcare, character of service determinations, and discharge status issues. Working out of the organization’s Springfield office, Attorney Kennen will help veterans in Hampden and Hampshire Counties, where over 30,000 veterans live. At the core of these services will be a focus on housing stability for low-income veterans, and Attorney Kennen will assist veterans in eviction defense, fair housing issues, and access to affordable housing programs. The position is generously funded for one year by the Legal Services for Veterans program of the U. S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

Veterans returning home after service often face civil legal problems as they re-integrate into their families and communities. Unfortunately, many of their issues cannot be properly remedied without the assistance of an attorney to navigate the complex laws and systems that administer veteran-specific benefits and programs. The funding provided to Community Legal Aid from the Legal Services for Veterans program aims to increase access to legal services for eligible veterans.

Attorney Kennen brings a wealth of experience to his new role working with veterans. He retired from active duty in the U.S. Air Force earlier this year after serving 25 years in assignments throughout the United States and in overseas locations, including Afghanistan, Djibouti, England, Somalia, South Korea, and Qatar. Attorney Kennen is an accomplished litigator with a wealth of experience as a prosecutor, trial defense counsel, and appellate defense counsel. He has also personally advised hundreds of servicemembers, retirees, and their families on a wide variety of civil law matters. Additionally, during his military service, Attorney Kennen oversaw administrative and civil law programs and supervised legal personnel responsible for providing advice and support to thousands of clients. Originally from Virginia, Attorney Kennen received a Bachelor of General Studies degree from Louisiana Tech University while serving on active duty full time. He obtained his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law.

Attorney Corrine Ryan, who oversees Community Legal Aid’s Springfield office, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Zeke Kennen as a Staff Attorney assisting veterans. His litigation experience, management skills, and service to others make him the ideal person to work with veterans in our communities.”

Attorney Kennen commented, “My desire to serve motivated me to join the military 25 years ago, and that desire has not waned. I am motivated now to serve other veterans and their families. Bringing free legal assistance to veterans who cannot otherwise afford private attorneys will help address the complex social factors that affect veterans’ health and well-being.”

Community Legal Aid began providing veteran-specific services in 2017, when it launched the Central-West Veterans’ Outreach & Advocacy Project with an 18-month grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. The following year, Community Legal Aid expanded its services to veterans with a three-year grant from the United Way of Hampshire County that established a Veterans’ Medical Legal Partnership with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Hampshire County. For the last four years, Community Legal Aid has received a modest annual grant from the Massachusetts Bar Foundation to provide civil legal assistance to veterans in Central and Western Massachusetts. Community Legal Aid appreciates the generous support from all of these funders in addition to the support from the Department of Veteran Affairs.

About Community Legal Aid:

Community Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to the low-income and elderly residents of the five counties of Western and Central Massachusetts (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester), and maintains offices in Worcester, Fitchburg, Springfield, Northampton, and Pittsfield. Community Legal Aid works to assure fairness for all in the justice system, protecting homes, livelihoods, health, and families. For more information, please visit www.communitylegal.org.

This press release was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author[s] and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.