NATIONAL VETERANS LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM, INC.

In the wake of World War II, the U.S. Congress enacted laws that continue to stand as a solemn promise to every citizen who steps forward to serve our country in military uniform: if you are injured or become permanently disabled due to your military service, the federal government will care for you and your family for the rest of your life. NVLSP exists to make sure that we as a nation live up to that promise.

Veterans confront two systemic obstacles to securing those benefits: rules and practices applied by the VA, DoD, and military service branches that deny Congressionally mandated benefits, and multi-year delays in the processing of veterans’ claims and appeals because of the VA’s bureaucratic inefficiency.

NVLSP aims to confront these obstacles and to ensure that the government delivers to our nation's 22 million veterans, active duty personnel, and their families the disability benefits to which they are entitled. NVLSP continually aims to: 1) provide our core programs to assist veterans, service members, and their families; 2) increase outreach to the constituency we serve so more individuals are aware of our services; and 3) grow our training, partnerships, and collaborations to act as a force multiplier.

To address these obstacles, NVLSP strategically leverages our core programs:

We bring class actions and other law reform litigation, and we work for legislative changes, to benefit large numbers of veterans and their families. By compelling the VA and other departments to bring their regulations and practices into compliance with applicable federal laws, thousands of other veterans can obtain the disability compensation benefits they are due. Since 2010, NVLSP has forced the VA to pay disabled veterans over $5.2 billion in benefits to hundreds of thousands of veterans, service members, and their families.

We provide free legal services to help veterans, service members, and their families secure disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the United States Armed Forces. NVLSP’s individual representation services include appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). NVLSP refers hundreds of cases annually through our Pro Bono Program’s network of about 55 national and multinational law firms and corporate law departments.

NVLSP achieves multiplier effects by training thousands of lawyers and veterans advocates each year to handle veterans’ benefits cases through our in-person and webinar trainings. Finally, NVLSP publishes educational materials that empower advocates for veterans and service members. Since 1991, we have produced, the Veterans Benefits Manual, the comprehensive 2,200 page treatise on veterans law. NVLSP updates and revises the veterans benefits manual on an annual basis.

NVLSP also achieves enormous multiplier effects through our partnerships and collaborations. NVLSP partners with, and trains, other organizations and state agencies to assist veterans and their families. Through our Pro Bono program, we partner with numerous law firms and corporate legal departments. Each volunteer attorney receives training and guidance by NVLSP’s team of expert attorneys, ensuring that every veteran receives top notch legal representation.

NVLSP is the leader in veterans law. The success of NVLSP’s core programs demonstrate our capability to tackle the obstacles and our mission of ensure that the government delivers to our nation's 22 million veterans, active duty personnel, and their families the disability benefits to which they are entitled.

NVLSP takes on individual cases across the country. In 2021, we filed about 600 appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). Of the cases we appeal to the CAVC each year, over 90% result in either a reversal of the previously denied claim or the case is sent back for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals to correct one or more legal errors. This is an extremely high win rate at a federal appeals court level. Each and every victory is profound and life-changing for men and women who have sacrificed so much.

NVLSP represents veterans in class action litigation. The most successful tool NVLSP has used to force the government to correct systemic barriers to justice is federal court litigation against the government. Many of these successes have come in class actions on behalf of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of veterans and their survivors.

NVLSP’s Pro Bono Program Lawyers Serving Warriors® has created a nationwide network of law firms and corporate law departments to represent individual veterans and service members in their claims for benefits. In 2021, NVLSP placed nearly 500 cases through the pro bono program. The pro bono program’s free legal services include the following: 1) Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) cases, 2) assistance with military medical retirement including, applications for a military retirement to the Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR), Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) rating increases for post-9/11 veterans, and assistance for service members who are referred to the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), 3) assistance with VA claims for service connection for mental disorders due to military sexual trauma (MST), 4) discharge upgrade (DU) applications for less than honorable discharges, corrections of wrongful personality or adjustment disorder discharges for veterans with PTSD, TBI or similar disorders, and 5) appeals at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) and on remand to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA). In addition, the pro bono program handles litigation in federal court to appeal unfavorable decisions at administrative boards.

NVLSP conducts training programs for attorneys and veterans advocates. In 2021, NVLSP trained over 5,000 attorneys, veterans service officers, and other advocates. NVLSP publishes educational materials that empower advocates for veterans and service members. Since 1991, we have produced, the Veterans Benefits Manual, the comprehensive 2,200 page treatise on veterans law. NVLSP updates and revises the veterans benefits manual on an annual basis.

Below are some highlights from NVLSP’s core programs:

Individual Representation: In 2021, NVLSP filed about 600 appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. NVLSP averaged over a 90% win-rate at the Court.

Class Actions: In October 2021, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia certified a class action brought by NVLSP and pro bono counsel Perkins Coie LLP, on behalf of Mr. Oscar D. Torres and former members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps who were wrongfully denied military disability retirement. The lawsuit challenges the Navy’s use of the “Properly Referred Policy” to deny military disability retirement to Mr. Torres and other similarly situated servicemembers. Up to 10,000 Navy and Marine Corps veterans wrongfully denied military disability retirement.

In 2020-2021, NVLSP forced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay more than $2.2 million in retroactive benefits to 96 survivors of deceased Vietnam veterans who suffered from diseases the VA conceded were the result of their exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.

NVLSP’s Pro Bono Program Lawyers Serving Warriors®: In 2021, NVLSP placed nearly 500 cases through the pro bono program. The pro bono program also held 11 virtual clinics reaching nearly 170 veterans and service members as well as trained nationally over 1,200 attorneys, veterans, service members, and advocates, including veterans service officers from Missouri, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Training & Publications: In 2021, NVLSP trained over 5,000 attorneys, veterans service officers, and other advocates. NVLSP works with state veterans agencies. NVLSP previously created the VA Benefit Identifier App to help veterans and advocates determine the specific VA benefits to which a veteran is likely entitled. It is available in English and Spanish. NVLSP produces The Basic Training Course in Veterans Benefits, an online course designed to provide advocates new to veterans law with a working understanding of how to successfully navigate the VA benefits system.

Despite all the good work NVLSP has been able to do, there is still much more to accomplish. NVLSP will continue to file appeals to the CAVC over the next year. Across the country, there are attorneys and advocates who are eager to be trained. NVLSP intends to continue its efforts to provide invaluable training opportunities to increase the pool of advocates available to assist veterans and service members in securing the compensation they deserve. We will continue to produce and update the Veterans Benefits Manual. NVLSP’s Pro Bono Program intends to continue placing cases with our pro bono network.