Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic
The Antonin Scalia Law School Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (“M-VETS”) secured Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) disability compensation for a former Army Special Forces Non-Commissioned officer (NCO) Engineer. M-VETS argued in a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) filed with the DVA the former Special Forces NCO was entitled to service connection and disability payments for injuries caused by military service. Read more
Nelson Henry Jr. in his WWII uniform before his blue discharge in 1945.
Nelson Henry Jr. on April 25, 2019 contemplating his chances of prevailing at the ABCMR.
By Spring 2019 M-VETS Student-Advisor Rachel A. Petrik
Red, white, and blue are three powerfully symbolic colors. Read more
By Spring 2019 M-VETS Student-Advisor Katie Stegmuller
Between 1961 and 1971, more than 20 million gallons of herbicides including Agent Orange were sprayed over Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.[1] The Agent Orange Act extends a presumption of service connection for disabilities that are positively associated with herbicide exposure to veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam Era. Read more
By Spring 2019 M-VETS Student-Advisor
Problems within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and specifically, the Veterans Health Administration, have received ample amounts of media attention over the last two decades.[1] Following an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General into a scandal involving several senior executives at the Phoenix Veterans’ Affairs (“VA”) Hospital in 2014,[2] Congress passed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act (“VACAA”). Read more
By Spring 2019 M-VETS Student-Advisor Todd Mihill
Marijuana laws and enforcement have become a hot topic for discussion in the lead up to the 2020 elections. Perhaps one of the most effected segments of the population is the US military. While this may seem confusing, allow me to provide an example. Read more
In March 2019, the Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic successfully assisted an Army Officer in the adoption of the Officer’s two minor children by his current wife. M-VETS drafted all pleadings, orders, and affidavits necessary to complete the stepparent adoption as well as assisted the family in obtaining the required background check for the stepmother, now a mandatory requirement in Virginia stepparent adoptions. Read more
Image credit:10 Online Bachelor’s Programs With the Most Veterans (last accessed May 7, 2019), https://www.usnews.com/education/online education/articles/2015/05/26/10-online-bachelors-programs-with-the-most-veterans.
By Spring 2019 M-VETS Student-Advisor Casey Hunt
The G.I. Bill was created to give veterans access to higher education and training as a way to help transition back to civilian life after they honorably served their country. Read more
By Spring 2019 M-VETS Student-Advisor
When considering post-traumatic stress (PTS), the first thought that comes to mind is a veteran returning from a theatre of combat. Due to technological advances, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) must be prepared to deal with the increase of drone pilots who suffer from PTS. Read more
(Pictured Katie Stegmuller and David Kaplan)
In March of 2019, the Antonin Scalia Law School Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (“M-VETS”) secured Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for the surviving spouse of a Vietnam veteran. M-VETS Student Advisors Katie Stegmuller and David Kaplan assisted the surviving spouse in the preparation and submission of this claim. Read more
The Antonin Scalia Law School Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (“M-VETS”) recently received the American Bar Association (ABA) Military Pro Bono Project Outstanding Services Award for its services in 2018. The ABA Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (LAMP) issued this award to M-VETS for their extraordinary pro bono services through the ABA Military Pro Bono Project. Read more