Written by Spring 2023 M-VETS Student Advisor Kyle Elzey.
Background
On August 24th, 2021, following the approval of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) issued the Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination of Department of Defense (DoD) Service Members memorandum, to ensure the health and operational readiness of the Force. Read more
Written by Spring 2023 M-VETS Student Advisor Hanna-Elizabeth B. Montgomery.
The Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022 was signed into law on January 5, 2023.[1] This Act makes two major changes to the Service Members Civil Relief Act, specifically concerning military families. Read more
Written by Fall 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Grace Roman.
Introduction
On December 27, 2021, President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (NDAA 22).[1] NDAA 22 includes many notable changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) that must be fully implemented by December 27, 2023. Read more
Written by Fall 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Liz Faris.
Transgender rights have become a divisive political issue, as some lawmakers attempt to restrict access to bathrooms and medical care. Trump swung the spotlight onto transgender servicemembers in 2017 with a series of tweets. Read more
Written By Summer 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Greg Pelletier.
Approximately 3.6 million people in the United States currently have a security clearance.[1] Many of these individuals with security clearances are active-duty service members in the military. Other clearance holders include civilians with national security related jobs or defense contractors. Read more
Written by Summer 2022 M-VETS Student Advisor Olivia Sznaza.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (“Camp Lejeune Justice Act”) was introduced to Congress in January, 2022 as a component of a broader piece of legislation called the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 (“PACT Act”). Read more
(Pictured: M-VETS Student Advisors, Doug Boyle, Olivia Sznaza)
A 2016 claim for Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) benefits was finally granted at the 40% payment rate after nearly six years of litigation with the DVA. M-VETS successfully argued at a personal appearance hearing before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) for its client to receive a DVA disability rating of 40% for his lumbar spine condition. Read more
The Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (“M-VETS”) assisted an active duty Air Force servicemember formalize her wife’s parental rights through an adoption. Though the servicemember’s wife was listed on the child’s birth certificate, the servicemember, who was the child’s birth mother, feared that her wife could lose parental rights in certain states should same-sex marriage rights be repealed. Read more
(Pictured L to R: SA Olivia Sznaza, Clerk of the Court, Malcolm Squires, Jr., Director Timothy MacArthur, SA Liz Faris, Deputy Director Leigh Winstead, SA Greg Pelletier, Adjunct Professor Chapman Good).
The Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (“M-VETS”) visited the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (“CAAF”) in Washington, D.C. Read more
(Pictured: M-VETS Student Advisor, Greg Pelletier)
The Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (“M-VETS”) successfully increased a veteran’s Department of Veterans Affairs (“DVA”) overall disability rating from 10% to 80%, resulting in an increase of the veteran’s monthly compensation payments from $152 to $2,035. Read more
