November is also National Military Family Month, a time to reflect on the all too often overlooked military families who truly know what it means to serve and to sacrifice for our country. We take this opportunity to recommit ourselves to providing the best legal services to not only veterans but also to their families, caregivers and survivors and we thank them for their service to our country. In addition, this month marked the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Court Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). The Court has exclusive jurisdiction over decisions of the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA). The Court provides an independent judicial review and is not part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to the establishment of the CAVC, there was no judicial review of VA decisions and no judicial recourse for veterans who were denied benefits by the VA. TVC receives funds through a grant from the CAVC to train volunteers to represent veterans pro bono so that our nation’s defenders receive the care, benefits, and compensation they were promised and the best legal services, free of charge, to meet their challenges. And of course, we also celebrate Thanksgiving in November. On behalf of the staff at TVC, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for the generous gift of time and resources from our volunteers, mission partners and supporters – thank you. To our veterans -- our nation’s defenders, we are thankful for your service and sacrifice. And last, but certainly not least, on November 10 we celebrated the 244th Birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps - the few, the proud! Semper Fi, Jim Carlsen Managing Director
Our Annual TVC Pro Bono Mission Partner Reception was held on November 6. Guests enjoyed an evening of good food and company as we gathered to celebrate our shared mission of equal access to justice for veterans. Thank you to all who were able to join us and to our very generous sponsors. It was a pleasure to share this special evening with all of you. Please enjoy some highlights from the night below!