NVLSP’s Veterans Benefits Training for Advocates

Mr. Richard V. Spataro is the Director of Training and Publications for NVLSP. Mr. Spataro joined NVLSP as a law clerk in 2004 and accepted a position as a staff attorney upon his graduation from law school in 2005. He was promoted to the position of senior staff attorney in 2013. He has represented hundreds of veterans before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and has also represented veterans before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and VA Regional Offices. He trains advocates in veterans law and mentors attorneys who participate in NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors^®Program and the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program. From November 2010 to August 2015, he was also the managing attorney of NVLSP’s Nehmer Lawsuit Division. During that time, he and his team of attorneys assisted thousands of veterans and their survivors obtain retroactive VA benefits for herbicide-related disabilities under the court orders in the class action Nehmer v. U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

Before embarking on his legal career, Mr. Spataro served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy. He earned his commission through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program at Duke University. He spent four years on active duty, serving first as the Auxiliaries Officer of the USS Vella Gulf and then as the Navigator of the USS Mount Whitney.

Mr. Spataro is a member of the Virginia and the District of Columbia Bars. From 2010 to 2013, he served as a Vice Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee of the Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice of the American Bar Association.

Mr. Spataro originally hails from Malone, New York. He is a graduate of Duke University (B.A., History, 1998) and American University, Washington College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2005).

Ms. Stacy Tromble is the Director of CAVC Litigation at NVLSP. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and is licensed to practice in the State of New York, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia. Ms. Tromble is also a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and is admitted to practice in several federal districts. She is also an At-Large Member of the CAVC Bar Association Board of Governors.

Prior to joining NVLSP, Ms. Tromble was a senior associate in the government enforcement group of a large international law firm. Her pro bono work at the firm focused on veteran and family law matters.

Ms. Tromble earned her law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo (J.D., summa cum laude, 2007). She also holds a Master of Social Work degree with a mental health concentration.

Ms. Alexis Marie Ivory is a senior staff attorney with NVLSP. She splits her time between developing training programs and conducting training sessions for veterans service officers and representing veterans and their survivors before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. She is admitted to practice before the U.S Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and is a member of the Maryland State bar.

Prior to joining NVLSP, Ms. Ivory was counsel at The Board of Veterans’ Appeals, Department of Veterans Affairs. During her tenure, Ms. Ivory was the VA representative at military bases in Japan and taught the VA portion of the Transition Assistance Program.

Ms. Ivory is from New York and is a graduate of The Catholic University of America (B.S. 2002), and The Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America (J.D. 2005).

Mr. Christopher Murray is a Senior Managing Appellate Attorney with NVLSP, where he represents veterans and survivors before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) and trains veterans service officers and other advocates in veterans law. Prior to joining NVLSP’s litigation group, Mr. Murray served as Counsel at the Board of Veterans Appeals for over twelve years. During that time, he prepared more than 2,200 decisions, signed more than 200 decisions as an Acting Veterans Law Judge, and played an active role in the Board’s training program. Mr. Murray was recognized by the Board as a subject-matter expert on a number of complex topics, including Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services,Gulf War and Undiagnosed Illnesses, and Reductions and Restorations. He also served as Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor of the Veterans Law Review.

Mr. Murray is a graduate of The College of William & Mary (B.B.A., 2002) and the George Mason School of Law (J.D., 2006). He is admitted to practice before the CAVC and licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia.