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NVLSP Press Releases
On November 10, Dechert LLP, in coordination with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), filed a class action complaint in the United States Court for the District of the District of Columbia, on behalf of former members of the Navy and Marine Corps who were subject to an unlawful Navy practice that resulted in the denial of military disability retirement benefits to more than 16,000 Navy and Marine Corps veterans for more than 15 years. Military disability retirement benefits are critical to veterans who are injured during their military service, and who depend on them for access to healthcare and other benefits for the service member and his or her family. The complaint, brought under the Administrative Procedure Act, seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to correct these veterans’ military records to accurately reflect their full disability rating as required by law. [more]
Released 11/10/20 | Tags: Class Actions, Veteran's Benefits
Court Orders VA To Redecide Thousands of Benefit Claims Denied for Agent Orange-Related Diseases Filed by Veterans Who Served in the Territorial Sea of Vietnam- -Decision Marks Fourth Time Court Has Found That VA Violated 29-Year Old Class Action Consent Decree- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November … [more]
Released 11/6/20 | Tags: Agent Orange, Class Actions, Veteran's Benefits
National Veterans Legal Services Program Announces Nov. 17 Panel Discussion, “The New Era of Class Actions in Veterans Law” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 22, 2020 WASHINGTON - On November 17, 2020, the National Veterans Legal … [more]
Released 10/22/20 | Tags: Class Actions
The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) today announced the release of the 2020-2021 edition of its landmark Veterans Benefits Manual, which NVLSP created in 1991. [more]
Released 10/20/20 | Tags: Veteran's Benefits
To help veterans gain a better understanding of their eligibility for Combat-Related Special Compensation and how we may be able veterans apply for this benefit, the National Veterans Legal Services Program is making the materiais from a recent virtual Know Your Rights: Combat-Related Special Compensation … [more]
Released 9/21/20 | Tags:
The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) attended a press conference in support of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-NY)and Rep. Raul Ruiz’s M.D. (D-CA) new legislation, the “Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2020.” The bill, an amendment to Title 38, U.S.C., would provide a presumption of service connection for certain diseases associated with exposure to toxins, and other purposes. This legislation would ease the burden of proof for veterans seeking VA benefits for medical conditions resulting from their exposure to burn pits and other toxic emissions during their military service. [more]
Released 9/15/20 | Tags: Agent Orange, Congressional Legislation, Veteran's Benefits
WASHINGTON – Today, Swords to Plowshares and the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) called on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to do away with its unlawful eligibility rules that fail to honor and protect those who were unjustly separated from the military with a less-than-honorable discharge. In a joint response to VA’s Proposed Rule to Update and Clarify Regulatory Bars to Benefits on Character of Discharge (COD) determinations, the organizations detail their demand for a VA benefits system that – unlike the current system – would account for racial discrimination, combat deployment, military sexual trauma, and arbitrary distinctions like branch and era of service – all factors which significantly increase a service member’s chance of receiving a less-than-honorable discharge. VA’s proposed regulations are in direct response to Swords and NVLSP’s petition for rulemaking submitted in December 2015. Nearly five years later, the VA responded with its new proposed regulation which, if implemented, would continue to exclude veterans most in need of treatment and support. The comments were filed with the pro bono assistance of Latham & Watkins LLP and the Veterans Legal Clinic at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School.
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Released 9/8/20 | Tags: Discharge Upgrades, Veteran's Benefits
On August 6, 2020, the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) prevailed before a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a class action brought on behalf of the thousands of organizations and individuals who have been overcharged by the government since 2010 to gain access to all federal court case dockets using the PACER electronic database. In the case styled National Veterans Legal Services Program v. United States,the Court of Appeals agreed with NVLSP that the PACER fees were excessive and that they were being wrongly used to fund government programs not authorized by Congress. The Court also indicated that these fees represented an impediment to the First Amendment right of access to courts. [more]
Released 8/10/20 | Tags: Class Actions
NVLSP Provides FAQs on COVID-19 Procedures at DoD, Board of Veterans' Appeals & CAVC * Updated 10-28-2020 To help facilitate navigation of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), and U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) procedures during the … [more]
Released 8/8/20 | Tags:
In recent weeks, a pair of veterans advocates — National Veterans Legal Services Program and Veterans Education Success — filed briefs of support in the case, arguing the more generous interpretation of GI Bill payouts should be upheld based on past congressional intent and court precedents. [more]
Released 7/28/20 | Tags: Veteran's Benefits