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Boston, MA (November 29, 2023) – Veterans Legal Services (“VLS”) is proud to announce that Cindy Palmquist will join the organization as its first-ever managing attorney.
Cindy has over 15 years of attorney experience. Her most recent role was as managing director at Volunteer Lawyers Project where she worked for nearly ten years.
As the Colonel Ruby W. Linn Managing Attorney, Cindy will be an integral part of VLS’s leadership team and will oversee the case work of VLS’s team of attorneys in a variety of areas, including direct provision of legal assistance, leveraging VLS’s pro bono panel, and identifying opportunities for systemic change advocacy.
Cindy has extensive experience providing support, mentorship, and supervision to a growing team of attorneys, developing case management processes, and using technology and data to inform program development. She is highly experienced at leveraging pro bono attorneys and has managed housing, bankruptcy, consumer, employment, guardianship, and family law practice groups. Cindy is a family law expert and has taught Divorce Practice at New England Law Boston. Cindy received her B.A. from Pine Manor College and her J.D. from New England Law Boston.
“We could not be more thrilled for Cindy to be joining our team. Her experience, dedication, and talent will help VLS further its progress on our strategic plan goals by adding a key level of support for VLS’s growing team of attorneys. With her contributions, VLS will achieve its goal of doubling its reach and impact by the end of 2025,” said Anna Richardson, VLS co-executive director and chief counsel.
Cindy is excited for this next chapter in her career. While continuing to greatly advance the availability of legal representation for people in need, she will also honor the memory of her father, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Air Force and died on Veterans Day in 2014.
“I am elated to be joining Veterans Legal Services and look forward to contributing to the team’s and organization’s development. The VLS attorneys are already achieving exceptional outcomes for veterans in need. Their work is undoubtedly very difficult and I am eager to support them and help the organization continue to grow sustainably. This role is especially meaningful for me as the daughter of a veteran. My father’s experiences in the war and the way society treated soldiers when they returned from Vietnam had an impact on our family. I am sensitive to the needs of the veteran population and I am very excited to be joining VLS.”
Pictured: Cindy TK Palmquist
About Veterans Legal Services:
Veterans Legal Services is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to help Massachusetts veterans overcome adversity by providing free civil legal aid that honors their service, promotes well-being, and responds to their distinctive needs. The organization was founded in 1991 by Boston College Law School students to help respond to the unmet legal needs of veterans experiencing homelessness. The organization has grown to a full-time staff of 11, a network of 290 pro bono attorneys from over 25 law firms across Massachusetts, an annual operating budget of $1.9 million, and a service reach of approximately 900 veterans annually. For more information, visit www.veteranslegalservices.org.
About the Colonel Ruby W. Linn Managing Attorney position title:
This position is named in memory of Colonel Ruby (Winslow) Linn. Born in 1910 in Massachusetts, Ruby served in the Army, first as a second lieutenant and then as a major. She ultimately became chief of the Food Service Division and director of the Dietetic Internship Program at Walter Reed. She retired in 1963. In 1966, Ruby married fellow Army veteran LaVon Parker Linn. The pair shared a love for travel and a deep commitment to philanthropy in service of those in need. The Ruby W. and LaVon P. Linn Foundation was created by Ruby in 2001 and has generously supported organizations serving veterans and other charitable organizations ever since.
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