The nation’s only nonprofit military think tank is preparing to honor two Orange County attorneys for their “long history of support” of veterans and active duty service members.
Top military and political officials are expected to gather at the group’s annual event, to be held Oct. 26 at the Fashion Island Hotel in Newport Beach.
“It’s a challenge to adequately express how supportive Wylie and Ashleigh Aitken have been to the military and veteran communities over the past two decades,” said Dr. Dwight Stirling, of Cypress, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Law and Military Policy.
Earlier this year, Stirling’s think tank gained national attention after the former military prosecutor was invited to testify before a Congressional committee seeking to allow active-duty service members to take medical malpractice claims to civil courts.
Stirling was called in as an expert witness to testify before Congress on a bill proposed by California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier, to amend the Feres Doctrine. Stirling said support is growing in Congress to amend the 70-year-old Feres Doctrine, a Supreme Court mandate that prevents active-duty service members from taking any legal claims to civil court.
Stirling, a reserve JAG Officer and senior military prosecutor, founded the CLMP to strengthen the legal protections of those who serve the nation in uniform. He is the nation’s only Feres Doctrine scholar, recently receiving his doctorate from Pepperdine University.
According to Stirling, Orange County “Super-Lawyer” Wylie Aitken and his daughter Ashleigh Aitken, also an attorney, have worked pro bono and “tirelessly” for many years to provide a variety of legal services to service members and veterans.
In addition, Stirling said the Aitkens have been instrumental in the establishment of Heroes Hall Museum on the Orange County Fairgrounds and they are working to establish a respectful military cemetery for the county.
Moreover, Stirling said when Ashleigh Aitken was President of the Orange County Bar Association, she worked diligently to create a permanent “Veterans and Military Committee” to curate and funnel a variety of benefits and support services to veterans and those serving in the active-duty military.
“This is an opportunity for many in the legal profession and the military community to thank the Aitkens for their generous support of veterans and service members over the years,” said Stirling.
Tickets for the unique gala are still available. Contact Marcia Marinovich at (949) 715-9127.
The Center for Law and Military Policy is a military think tank dedicated to the preservation and strengthening of legal rights for those who serve the nation in uniform. It’s founder, Dr. Dwight Stirling, has testified before Congress and is working with elected and military officials to address issues related to the protection of legal rights of service members, the guard and reserves. Stirling joined the California National Guard after 9/11 and became a senior military prosecutor before founding CLMP. The Center’s Advisory Group and Board of Directors includes top legal experts, former JAG officers and subject matter experts from a variety of educational and military disciplines. The unique think tank is developing strategies and solutions to mitigate lingering problems such as military medical malpractice, military sexual assault, inadequate and problematic military housing and a host of other issues confronting those who serve our nation in uniform. The Center for Law & Military Policy is a IRS registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
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