Situated less than 4 miles from the Pentagon, on the doorstep of the nation’s capital, and neighbor to several major military installations, George Mason prides itself on its commitment and support of those who wear or have worn a uniform in service to our nation.
Direct evidence of that commitment and support can be found in the law school’s Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (M-VETS). Founded in 2004 as the Clinic for Legal Assistance to Servicemembers and Veterans, its establishment was unique in legal education and has subsequently served as a model for the founding of other servicemembers and veterans clinics at law schools across the nation.
M-VETS enables Mason law students to assist servicemembers, veterans, and dependent family members in a wide variety of litigation and non-litigation matters. Since its inception, clinic students have assisted hundreds of clients from all five branches of the armed services with negotiation and litigation in consumer protection, expungements, family law (uncontested divorce, step-parent adoptions, name changes), landlord-tenant, and contract matters. M-VETS services for civil matters are limited to matters located in courts in Northern Virginia. M-VETS has temporarily suspended legal services in these practice areas.
M-VETS provides services for administrative and military law and entitlements matters, medical and physical evaluation boards, discharge upgrade and military records correction applications before Discharge Review Boards, and Boards for Corrections of Military Records. M-VETS also provides assistance related to the appeal of initial (partial or total) denials of Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation claims, the filing of requests for increases in ratings, and appeals to the Board of Veterans Appeals and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. These M-VETS services are not restricted by the State of residence.
M-VETS relies on private donations and is grateful to the individuals, corporations, and foundations who have generously provided support to the clinic:
