17 Before retiring from a 20-year career with the US Navy, Krishna Jackson worried about her transition to civilian life, and the stories she heard from other veterans didn’t help. One acquaintance spent more than four years looking for a good job and had to move in with his parents to make ends meet. As the sole breadwinner for her daughter, a young nephew, and her disabled mother, Krishna didn’t have that kind of safety net. Then Krishna heard about REBOOT. Created by a San Diego–based nonprofit called the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc., REBOOT is a free, three-week series of workshops designed to help members of the military transition to civilian life by“rebooting”their skills. The program takes a comprehensive approach, addressing personal, lifestyle, and career issues that can affect an individual’s success. For several years attorney Jeremy Glaser and former Mintz Levin attorney Jake Romero have reviewed licensing contracts for the course materials used in REBOOT workshops. Last year, Mintz Levin deepened its long-standing pro bono relationship with National Veterans Transition Services when Jeremy joined its board. Now, in addition to reviewing contracts, he provides the board with legal counsel as well as governance advice based on best practices. “This work gives us the opportunity to do something important for our young veterans,” Jeremy says.“As a society, we have a moral obligation to help these men and women reintegrate.” At her first REBOOT meeting, Krishna was skeptical, but she soon found her fears about the future giving way to excitement. When the workshop’s facilitator reminded the participants of the benefits of life beyond the military,“it was like having an epiphany,”Krishna says.“I could be there for my daughter’s birthdays and not have to have her look me in the eyes and ask me not to leave again? I liked how that made me feel.” The facilitator also helped participants identify the strengths they’d gained through their service. In the Navy Krishna served as a photographer and combat documentation specialist. In Bosnia her work included documenting the exhumation of mass graves. She also covered brigade missions in Afghanistan and documented counter-piracy operations in the Somali Basin and Gulf of Aden. Today Krishna is pursuing a bachelor’s degree, working part time as a photographer and media specialist, and receiving care for her disabilities. She also writes Invisible Warriors (http:// invisiblewarriors.wordpress.com), a blog about the challenges facing women veterans. While her transition to civilian life hasn’t been easy, REBOOT has made the difference.“In addition to igniting the optimist in me, REBOOT provided me with resources. They helped me find an advocate to file my Department of Veterans Affairs disability claim, they put me in touch with representatives from local schools to pursue my education, they taught me networking skills and took me to events to help me connect with employers, additional veteran resources, entrepreneurs, and best of all, veterans just like me,”Krishna says. “Pro bono legal services from attorney Jeremy Glaser and others at Mintz Levin help our organization provide veterans like Krishna with high quality REBOOT workshops that give them the tools and support to transition to civilian life successfully.” Maurice Wilson Director National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. Still Life After War