New Pro Bono Program At Court Of Appeals For Veterans Claims

[Mcafee]

New Pro Bono Program at Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

After long and careful consideration, the DAV has accepted a proposal from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, one of the nation’s leading law firms, to offer free representation at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to certain veterans referred by DAV. Click here to read entire message. I thought this may help some of you if not all of us.

[Wings]

New Pro Bono Program at Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

After long and careful consideration, the DAV has accepted a proposal from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, one of the nation’s leading law firms, to offer free representation at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to certain veterans referred by DAV. Click here to read entire message. I thought this may help some of you if not all of us.

Could you post the link ???? Thanks !!!

[john999]

Why do you need pro bono lawyer work when the lawyers can get paid if there is any retro and there has to be if you are at the court? Pro Bono work at the very beginning of the process would be better.

[Mcafee]

Hello All Hope All Is Well. I am so sorry I thought i did post the link for this http://www.davmembersportal.org/News%20Ano...PageView=Shared

TO: National Officers

Department Commanders and Adjutants

Chapter Commanders and Adjutants

All National Service Officers

VA Regional Office Directors

State Directors of Veterans’ Affairs

DAVA National Adjutant

FROM: Arthur H. Wilson, National Adjutant

SUBJ: New Pro Bono Program at Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

DATE: July 2, 2008

After long and careful consideration, the DAV has accepted a proposal from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, one of the nation’s leading law firms, to offer free representation at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to certain veterans referred by DAV.

This new arrangement will provide even more resources to disabled veterans seeking to obtain benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. In a number of cases, they will now be able to access the resources of Finnegan and its very talented lawyers in exercising their right to independent judicial review of benefit decisions.

Under the agreement, Finnegan will offer pro bono representation at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to certain veterans referred by DAV. All in all, Finnegan will likely handle between 100 and 200 cases each year at the court, all of which will be selected from the thousands that DAV handles — and will continue to handle — at VA’s Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

The DAV’s foremost concern continues to be ensuring that disabled veterans have the very best representation possible as they pursue their claims for disability compensation and other earned benefits from the VA. We are very pleased that a prestigious firm such as Finnegan has volunteered to provide pro bono services to our nation’s veterans and their families, services that will complement our vast program of representation by our National Appeals Officers, National Service Officers, Transition Service Officers, Department Service Officers and Chapter Service Officers.

As you may know, the DAV was the first veterans service organization to submit an appellate brief to the veterans court after it was established in 1988 and was the first organization to present oral argument by a non-attorney practitioner. The DAV also won the first fact-based decision handed down by the court. The DAV also has long been a leader in developing programs to provide pro bono representation to veteran claimants. For example, in 1992, the DAV partnered with the Veterans Consortium to establish a pro bono program that continues to this day.

This new arrangement with Finnegan provides DAV the opportunity to create a better balance in our National Service Program. This includes allowing us to devote additional resources to our operations at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, where the workload is increasing at a rapid pace.

ARTHUR H. WILSON

National Adjutant

[Wings]

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It's only for DAV vets, sounds like a very discriminatory program!

[Philip Rogers]

Why do you need pro bono lawyer work when the lawyers can get paid if there is any retro and there has to be if you are at the court? Pro Bono work at the very beginning of the process would be better.

john999, I agree, somewhat, except that lawyers usually get paid anyway, at the CAVC level, thru the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). I believe the NVLSP has a program of attorneys, there, that do Pro Bono work, also. To me, this is just more DAV BS to make the DAV look good! jmo

pr

Edited September 8, 2008 by Philip Rogers