Advocating to Help Veterans, Service Members and Their Families is Their Passion
Ensuring veterans and active-duty service members get the benefits they’ve earned and deserve requires not just goodwill – but also vigilance and advocacy. Veterans are getting a few more champions – with the addition of eight new members to the Board of Directors for NVLSP. [more]
Released 5/18/11 | Tags: Supporters
Sesame Workshop, American Legion, Morgan Lewis & Bockius to be Recognized
Veteran’s Day is arriving a little early this year, with a benefit reception on November 9 at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial to benefit the NVLSP. The event will honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans and military families, while providing much needed support for legal advocacy services to help veterans and service members. [more]
Released 11/4/10 | Tags: Supporters
VA Ordered to Publish New Compensation Rules in 30 Days
Veterans organizations scored a victory today for Vietnam veterans suffering from diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure. In a court order issued this morning, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit instructed the VA to issue within 30 days new rules for paying disability benefits to Vietnam veterans stricken with ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, or B-cell leukemias. The successful request for a writ of mandamus was filed in July 2010 by a coalition of veterans service organizations: the NVLSP, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Non Commissioned Officers Association, and United Spinal Association/VetsFirst. The organizations received pro-bono legal help from Chadbourne & Parke LLP. [more]
Released 8/2/10 | Tags: Agent Orange
Class members can opt-in for guaranteed upgrade in military disability rating that may lead to additional financial benefits and improved healthcare for veterans and their families
The clock is ticking for 4,400 veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and were discharged from military service due to their post-traumatic stress disorder between December 17, 2002 and October 14, 2008, without the benefits to which they were entitled. These veterans have until July 24, 2010 to opt-in to a class action lawsuit that will potentially lead to the military retirement and healthcare benefits that they should have received. Class notices were mailed to 4,400 veterans beginning in January 2010. [more]
Released 7/13/10 | Tags: Class Actions, PTSD
NVLSP, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Non-Commissioned Officers Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, & United Spinal Association/VetsFirst Insist VA Comply With the Law
Advocating for the 200,000 estimated Vietnam veterans suffering from Agent Orange exposure, a coalition of veteran’s service organizations filed a lawsuit yesterday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to force the Department of Veterans Affairs to publish new regulations so that veterans who file a claim for one of the three new conditions that have been linked to Agent Orange exposure can obtain benefits from the earliest possible date. The lawsuit was filed by the NVLSP, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, the Paralyzed Veterans of America and United Spinal Association/VetsFirst with pro-bono help from Chadbourne & Parke LLP. [more]
Released 3/17/10 | Tags: Agent Orange
Veterans must opt-in by July 24 for disability rating upgrade and expedited review of benefits, NVLSP and Morgan Lewis available to counsel veterans on their rights as class members
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TO YIELD BETTER BENEFITS FOR THOUSANDS OF VETERANS SUFFERING FROM PTSD AND THEIR FAMILIES Veterans must opt-in by July 24 for disability rating upgrade and expedited review of benefits, NVLSP and Morgan Lewis available to counsel veterans on their rights as class members … [more]
Released 1/25/10 | Tags: Class Actions, PTSD
Potential Payment of Millions of Dollars in Benefits for Iraq & Afghanistan Vets with PTSD, News Conference on Monday, January 25 at 1pm at the National Press Club
A recent development in the class action lawsuit, Sabo v. United States, will likely result in the payment of millions of dollars in financial benefits and improved healthcare for thousands of Iraq & Afghanistan veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their families. This landmark development will be discussed by attorneys and a veteran plaintiff at a news conference being held on Monday, January 25 at 1:00pm at the National Press Club. An important deadline for an estimated 4,300 eligible veterans will be announced. [more]
Released 1/21/10 | Tags: Class Actions, PTSD
Military’s investigation admits potential systemic flaws in how wounded warriors are diagnosed & evaluated, NVLSP’s Bart Stichman, named in today’s Salon.com article, available for interview
A story running today on Salon.com details how a recording that revealed pressure from the military to mis-diagnose a soldier’s post-traumatic stress disorder, made its way to an outreach worker with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), and ultimately, to the upper levels of the Pentagon and the Senate Armed Services Committee.Sergeant X, the designation given by Salon to the wounded soldier in today’s story, is a client of NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors™ project, which provides free legal help to active duty personnel and veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and are facing administrative separation, going through a medical or physical evaluation board, or applying for VA benefits. These proceedings determine the benefits they and their families will receive from the military for life. [more]
Released 4/9/09 | Tags: PTSD
Awards Ceremony to Honor World War II veteran Senator Daniel Inouye and Vietnam veteran Tom Ridge
On March 18, veterans and service members will be honored for their dedication and military service in a “Serving Our Warriors” reception and fundraiser held by the NVLSP at the offices of WilmerHale at 1875 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW at 6:00 p.m. Two veterans, who have long served our nation through public policy leadership will be honored during the event – World War II veteran Senator Daniel Inouye, and Vietnam veteran Governor Tom Ridge – and funds raised will support NVLSP and its efforts to provide legal representation to military service members and veterans, and to train lawyers and advocates to assist them. [more]
Released 3/16/09 | Tags: Supporters
Advocates say veterans from Iraq & Afghanistan were shortchanged the support they are entitled to
In a class action lawsuit filed on December 17, 2008 in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the NVLSP charged that for many years, the U.S. Army shortchanged an entire class of soldiers who returned from service in Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the benefits to which they are entitled. The five veterans of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan filing suit in the case seek to represent the large number of soldiers the Army found to be unfit for continued military service because of their PTSD, but who then were illegally deprived of the disability benefits and free health care to which they were entitled under federal law. [more]
Released 12/18/08 | Tags: Class Actions, PTSD