2022 TVC Pro Bono Mission Partner Awards

e believe that our veterans ~our nation's defenders~ deserve the care, benefits, and compensation they were promised and the best legal services, free of charge, to meet their challenges.

AMessagefromTVC'sExecutiveDirector

This year ’ s event is particularly meaningful, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of TVC’s establishment in 1992. TVC has grown to become a leading non profit, providing pro bono legal services in federal venues. We’ve handled over 73,000 requests for legal assistance, trained more than 6,000 volunteer attorneys, succeeded in nearly 83% of our federal cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and represented veterans at the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court, where our volunteers have achieved two unanimous decisions. These achievements translate to over $140 million dollars in pro bono legal services provided on behalf of veterans in need, and more than three times that in the lifetime value of care, benefits, and disability compensation, which has truly changed lives.

Our sponsors were extremely generous this year and we are grateful for each one of you This generosity will translate to innovative and quality legal services for our nation’s defenders and their families. I want to especially thank our Champion Sponsors, Baker Botts L.L.P. and The John and Daria Barry Foundation; our Hero Sponsor, Shook Hardy & Bacon, L L P ; and our Freedom Sponsors, Greenberg Traurig LLP and McCarter& English LLP Thank you for your generous support and unwavering commitment to our program. We are grateful for your partnership and patriotism.

On behalf of our nation’s defenders, and their families, caregivers, and survivors, we thank you for your volunteer service and for supporting our mission. This is a team effort, and each of you is critical to our success. We honor and salute each of you.

Executive Director

Steve Jordon, Captain (ret.) U.S. Navy

We gather tonight to honor our volunteers who have gone “above and beyond the call of duty” to provide quality pro bono legal services to veterans and their loved ones. Congratulations to our 2022 Awardees Covington & Burling LLP and Northrop Grumman Corporation, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, L.L.P., and Kamaria Davis, Esq.

ExecutiveBoard ExecutiveBoard ExecutiveBoard Directors&Officers Directors&Officers Directors&Officers

William S. Foster, Jr., Esq., Chairman Northrup Grumman Corporation

Aniela Szymanski, Esq., Vice Chairman Chief Warrant Officers Association of the U.S. Coast Guard

Lee Gardner, Esq., Director Google, Inc.

Kari Jolly, Treasurer RSM US LLP

Mario A. Marquez, Esq., Director The American Legion

Lanita Morgan, Esq., Director Schmoyer Reinhard LLP

John Muckelbauer, Esq., Director Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U S

Leonard J. Selfon, Esq., CAE, Secretary & Director Paralyzed Veterans of America

Richard

V. Spataro, Esq., Director National Veterans Legal Services Program

Roy E. Spicer, Director Disabled American Veterans

Le Roy Torres Co-Founder BurnPits360

Rosie Torres Co-Founder BurnPits360

CHAMPION

Baker Botts L L P

John and Daria Barry Foundation

HERO

Shook, Hardy, & Bacon L L P

FREEDOM

Greenberg Traurig, LLP McCarter & English

PATRIOT

The Morrison Foerster Foundation

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Quarles & Brady LLP

GUARDIAN

Alston & Bird American Legion Blank Rome LLP

Buckley LLP Cameron Firm, PC Disabled American Veterans Kirkland & Ellis K&L Gates Lockheed Martin Corporation Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

National Association of County Veterans Service Officers

National Veterans Legal Services Program Veterans of Foreign Wars White & Case LLP

HONOR GUARD

Fish & Richardson PC Just Law

Veterans Law Office of Amy B Kretkowski PLC

Veterans’ Rights Law Group, PLLC

VETERAN’S DEFENDER

Attig Curran Steel, PLLC Chisholm, Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD

Christie Bhageloe, Esq Evans & Dixon, LLC

Faegre Drinker Law Office of Michael J Sepanik

National Organization of Veterans Advocates Seyfarth Shaw LLP Valerie Daye, Esq VetLaw

*as of print deadline

U.SCOURTOFAPPEALSFORVETERANSCLAIMS

The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is a federal court of record established by Congress through the Veterans' Judicial Review Act (VJRA), which was signed into law on November 18, 1988 (now codified in chapter 72 of title 38, United States Code). Prior to the VJRA, veterans who were denied claims for VA benefits, or who disagreed with findings of the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board), had no right to pursue any review of Board decisions The Court provides this independent judicial review and is not part of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Court has exclusive jurisdiction to review final Board decisions based on the record before the agency and arguments of the parties, which are presented in a written brief, with oral argument generally held only in cases presenting new legal issues. The Court's principal office is in Washington, D.C., but the Court is authorized to sit anywhere in the United States and does so a limited number of times each year, typically at law schools across the nation as part of an educational outreach program. The Court is authorized seven permanent, active Judges, and two additional Judges as part of a temporary expansion provision. Judges generally are appointed for 15 year terms, and each Judge has the option upon retirement to agree to be available for further service as a recall eligible Senior Judge. During any period of recall service, a Senior Judge has all of the judicial authority and powers of a Judge in active service.

PROBONOPROGRAMFORVETERANS

At the request of the Court’s founding Chief Judge, Frank Q Nebeker, the Federal Pro Bono Program for Veterans was created by the U.S. Congress in Public Law No. 102 229 and marked its 25 year milestone in 2017. The law provides for the “ … furnishing of legal and other assistance, without charge, to veterans and other persons who are unable to afford the cost of legal representation in connection with decisions to which section 7252(a) of title 38, United States Code, may apply, or with other proceedings in the Court, through a program that furnishes case screening and referral, training and education for attorney and related personnel, and encouragement and facilitation of pro bono representation by members of the bar and law school clinical and other appropriate programs, such as veterans service organizations, and through defraying expenses incurred in providing representation to such persons. Provided, that such grants or contracts shall be made by the Legal Services Corporation pursuant to a reimbursable payment from the United States Court of Veterans Appeals….” [now the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims]

LegalServicesCorporation

LSC is the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low income Americans in the nation. Established in 1974, LSC operates as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that promotes equal access to justice and provides grants for high quality civil legal assistance to low income Americans. LSC distributes more than 93% of its funding to 133 independent nonprofit legal aid programs with more than 800 offices. LSC promotes equal access to justice by awarding grants to legal services providers through a competitive grants process; conducting compliance reviews and program visits to oversee program quality and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements as well as restrictions that accompany LSC funding, and by providing training and technical assistance to programs. LSC encourages programs to leverage limited resources by partnering and collaborating with other funders of civil legal aid, including state and local governments, Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA), access to justice commissions, the private bar, philanthropic foundations, and the business community LSC is headed by a bipartisan board of directors whose 11 members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

The Veterans ates U S Navy veteran, Kamar the 2022 TVC Chairman’s Aw rd of service to our nation’s vet ivors.

Kamaria became a member of our National Volunteer Corps in 2014 and has been diligently advocating for veterans in need since then. She has achieved successful outcomes for her clients in eleven of her twelve cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. In June of this year, she was selected by our team as a Volunteer Inspiring Pro Bono, or “VIP”, as a stand out member of TVC’s National Volunteer Corps.

Kamaria currently works as the Managing Attorney at Leibovic Law Group where she focuses on disability advocacy. Prior to working at Leibovic, she practiced in North Carolina State Court, representing clients in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and civil matters. Kamaria has focused her entire legal career on advocating for people who are generally at the worst point of their lives and need legal assistance. She is also very active in her personal time and frequently volunteers to assist indigent members of her community. It is this desire to help those in need that makes her such an asset to TVC.

As a veteran, she personally understands the challenges that veterans can face after service and brings a deep passion and commitment to each of her cases. We’re very grateful to have someone as dedicated and skillful as Kamaria working on behalf of our veterans, and we thank her for her continued service to our country.

This sustained commitment to pro bono service demonstrates that Kamaria Davis has gone above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of our nation’s defenders and is a role model for legal professionals to emulate.

The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program congratulates Shook, Hardy & Bacon, L.L.P. on their selection as our 2022 TVC Law Firm Pro Bono Mission Partner in recognition of their outstanding record of service to our nation’s veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

Shook Hardy’s commitment to pro bono is evidenced by the myriad of matters they take on, including immigration cases, special education, foster care adoptions, domestic violence, prisoners’ rights cases, and veterans’ appeals and discharge upgrades Shook Hardy attorneys are on the front lines, advocating for individuals in need, and they have become valued partners to us by providing exceptional representation to veterans

After honoring our veterans by attending TVC’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day trainings, Shook Hardy attorneys went to work! In one year, the firm took on 14 of our CAVC cases, with positive outcomes in 6 and 8 currently in progress. Additionally they're requested 7 more cases for 2022. They also strongly support our Discharge Upgrade Program and have taken 11 cases for veterans who wrongfully received less than honorable discharges.

Shook Hardy is also a very generous supporter of our program as a Hero sponsor this year. This generosity allows us to provide vital services to veterans for their unique legal challenges through our Women Veterans Legal Assistance Program, Veterans Naturalization Assistance Program, and our two pro bono legal advice and referral clinics in the DMV area.

This sustained commitment to pro bono service for veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors clearly demonstrates that Shook, Hardy & Bacon, L L P, has “ gone above and beyond the call of duty” on behalf of our nation’s defenders.

TVC Law Firm/Corporate Pro Bono Mission Partner

The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program congratulates Covington & Burling LLP and Northrop Grumman Corporation, on their selection as the 2022 TVC Law Firm/Corporate Pro Bono Mission Partners in recognition of their outstanding record of service to our nation’s veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

In 2020, Covington & Burling and Northrop Grumman partnered to sponsor a two year Equal Justice Works Fellowship at TVC The Veterans Naturalization Assistance Program (VNAP) was managed by former Equal Justice Works fellow, Nicqelle Fleming, Esq.

The goal of the fellowship was to develop a program that would educate veterans on the naturalization process and their rights, understand why veterans are denied at a higher rate than civilians, and train volunteer attorneys to assist them in their naturalization applications. With the support and leadership of Covington & Northrop, VNAP grew to be a nationally respected program by non profits, advocacy groups, and Veteran Service Organizations around the country. It is also recognized as a leading program by the VA.

Many attorneys from Covington and Northrop enthusiastically supported the program, taking cases and participating in over 40 outreach clinics around the country. Under their leadership, the program trained over 1,800 individuals and responded to approximately 100 requests from non citizen veterans. To date, 31 of our veteran clients have proudly raised their right hand to become United States citizens and 30 more are in the process of doing so. VNAP has positively impacted the lives of many non citizen veterans who choose to serve our country

We’re honored to have both organizations as dedicated TVC Mission Partners. Their passion and engagement for VNAP and for veterans is admirable. This commitment to pro bono service clearly demonstrates that the combined team of Covington & Burling LLP and the Northrop Grumman Corporation, have gone above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of our nation’s defenders and is a model for others to emulate.

Remembering Their Sacrifice

We thank the dedicated members of our TVC National Volunteer Corps who have selflessly given their time and talent in the spirt of pro bono service to our nation's veterans.

Theyfoughtforus–helpusfightforthem. Theyfoughtforus–helpusfightforthem.

TVC FEDERAL VETERANS PRO BONO PROGRAM (Nationwide)

This pro bono program provides representation for veterans and their families appealing the unjust denial of their VA benefits from the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA) to the U S Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) TVC trains & mentors volunteers to represent them to regain eligibility for benefits

Contact: volunteer@vetsprobono.org

TVC CLIENT SERVICES (Nationwide)

Our TVC Client Services team liases with the Court, our veterans and VSOs to ensure appeals are filed in a timely manner. We operate a national helpline for pro se appellants at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to help veterans understand the Court’s processes. Client Services also provides forms and other documents for representation, as well as resources and referrals as needed.

Contact: mail@vetsprobono.org

TVC DISCHARGE UPGRADE PROGRAM (Nationwide)

This pro bono program serves veterans who have received a less than honorable Discharge due to conduct related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), anti-LGBTQ+ policies and/or other mitigating factors.

Contact: upgrades@vetsprobono.org

TVC LEGAL CLINIC PROGRAM (LCP) (DC Metro Area)

TVC manages two regular pro bono legal clinics for veterans. One is available exclusively to women veterans and staffed by female attorneys; the other is for all veterans. TVC also hosts pop-up specialized pro bono legal clinics to meet the increase need for legal assistance across various areas of law such as family law, employment law, and wills/estates law.

Contact: clinics@vetsprobono.org

WOMEN VETERANS LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (WVLAP) (Nationwide)

TVC's Women Veterans Legal Assistance Program (WVLAP) focuses on outreach and education to women veterans, informing them of their rights and legal avenues available for their unique legal needs. This pro bono program provides representation for women veterans who are filing for VA disability compensation or appealing claims for conditions related to MST.

Contact: wvlap@vetsprobono.org

VETERANS NATURALIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (VNAP) (Nationwide)

VNAP assists veterans applying for naturalization through military service. TVC volunteers are trained to assist veterans with their naturalization applications which involve gathering evidence, writing defenses when needed, and ensuring applications are properly completed. Practicing Immigration attorneys serve as Mentors to volunteers when needed.

Contact: vnap@vetsprobono.org

With Network For Good, you can keep track of your donation history and organize your receipts for tax time, set up automated donations, dedicate donations in honor of loved ones, and more

Please contact us at outreach@vetsprobono org to discuss ways that you or your firm can support our work through in kind donations

All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law

Checks made payable to The Veterans Consortium can be mailed to:

Stephen Jordon 2101 L Street NW, Ste 840 Washington, DC 20037

We participate in donations through the Combined Federal Campaign program We appreciate your consideration of us CFC#: 95004

If you would like to make a donation in memory of a veteran that has served our country, or a volunteer attorney that has given their time and expertise in service to veterans, please contact outreach@vetsprobono org