STETSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW
VETERANS LAW INSTITUTE SUMMER 2026 NEWSLETTER
TOP TEN GRADUATE SCHOOL
TOP NEWS NLSVCC Conference Comes to Stetson Clinic Students Bring Home National Moot Court Win NOVA Honors VLI’s Community Impact VLI Fellow: $430K backpay + $7.7M projected lifetime compensation secured for veterans Bob Waters Memorial Magnolia Dedicated on Campus
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR This past year has been another busy and exciting one for Stetson Law’s Veterans Law Institute. Our students and staff continue to make a difference in the lives of individual veterans and their families, while the VLI continues to expand its impact both locally and nationally. At the heart of everything we do is our work with veterans. This year, our students and attorneys secured numerous victories in difficult cases before both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. We brought new clients into the Veterans Advocacy Clinic, continued our work with veterans experiencing homelessness, and participated in outreach events throughout our community. Our VLI Fellow has allowed us to represent veterans we otherwise would have had to turn away, while our Equal Justice Works Fellow continues important work helping veterans seeking upgrades to their military discharges. One of the highlights of the year was welcoming veterans law clinicians from across the country to Stetson for the National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium’s first in-person conference in almost a decade. It was wonderful to have so many of our colleagues together on our campus to share ideas about how we can better educate the next generation of veterans advocates and serve our nation’s veterans. The VLI also continued to have a voice in the development of veterans law nationally through our work on amici briefs in the federal courts, including the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States, and through leadership roles in national veterans law organizations. We have also continued our commitment to the veterans and military-connected students who choose Stetson Law for their legal education. For another year, Stetson remained among the top ten graduate schools recognized as both Military and Veteran Friendly and Military Spouse Friendly. We continue to work with our students from their first interactions with Stetson through graduation and beyond, whether they are navigating their VA education benefits, planning to enter the military after law school, or looking for opportunities to practice veterans law. As the VLI grows, so do the partnerships that make our work possible. This year, we established new relationships with local medical providers who can help us better serve our clients. Our alumni, donors, community partners, and friends continue to give their time, expertise, and financial support to the VLI. That support allows our students to learn what it means to be citizen-lawyers while providing veterans and their families with the zealous advocacy they deserve. The coming year will bring another important transition as we begin the national search for a new Director to lead the Veterans Advocacy Clinic. I am excited to see the Clinic begin its next chapter while I continue my work directing the VLI and supporting its broader mission. A major part of that work will be ensuring that the VLI has the resources necessary to continue growing our Fellow program, our outreach, and the services we provide to veterans and their families. As always, none of this work happens without our students, alumni, donors, faculty, staff, and community partners. I remain incredibly proud of what we have built together and grateful for your continued support of the VLI and the veterans we have the privilege to serve.
ASSOCIATE DEAN STACEY-RAE SIMCOX
SECOND YEAR IN A ROW TOP TEN MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOL Military Friendly® is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community. The Military Friendly® Schools survey is the longest-running most comprehensive review of college and university investments in serving military and veteran students. Due to the efforts of Stetson University College of Law, we have maintained our TOP 10 Military Friendly Graduate School! We moved up 2 spots since last year. In addition, we were also recognized again as a TOP 10 Military Spouse Friendly School. We are so proud of Stetson Law for maintaining and expanding our dedication to our servicemembers and their families. We owe a special thank you to our Assistant Director, Johnny Pruiett, for organizing this effort.
MEET OUR NEW STAFF ATTORNEY, SYDNIE ROULEAU Sydnie joined our team in August 2025 after graduating from Stetson Law in May of 2025. While in law school, she completed the Veterans Advocacy Clinic and Advanced Veterans Advocacy Clinic. She also served as a teaching assistant for the Veterans Advocacy Clinic. Coming from a proud military family, Sydnie’s firsthand experience with her family’s veterans benefits journeys inspired her commitment to advocating for those who have served.
MEET OUR INCOMING FELLOW, AMBER WILSON Amber Wilson, a May 2026 Stetson Law graduate, joined the VLI as a Fellow in August. With a personal connection to veterans through her husband’s service, Amber completed both the Veterans Advocacy Clinic and Advanced Veterans Advocacy Clinic and is looking forward to continuing this work. This position allows the VLI to assist more veterans who would otherwise be referred out due to our limited resources,. Support for funding this fellowship will help sustain her important work with the VLI and the veterans we serve.
VLI “IN THE WILD” AALS Clinical Conferance Morgan Zimarakos and Sydnie Rouleau attended the AALS Clinical Education Conference in Portland Oregon with other Stetson Clinical Education colleagues. Morgan and Sydnie each facilitated veterans law working group sessions with clinicians from across the country. AALS, the Association of American Law Schools, brings together legal educators nationwide to exchange ideas and strengthen legal education. Its Clinical Education Conference is a key gathering for clinicians to explore best practices in teaching, supervision, advocacy, and professional formation.
Veterans Day Parade The VLI was proud to participate in the Downtown Gulfport Veterans Day Parade in partnership with the Stetson Public Safety team and the Student Veteran Organization. We enjoyed tossing beads and candy to paradegoers while honoring veterans in our local community and celebrating their service.
Preparing the Next Generation of Advocates Morgan Zimarakos recently presented at the National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium’s National Bootcamp, a biennial event offering a full day of programming for law students in veterans clinics across the country. Following a keynote by Judge Pietsch, Professor Zimarakos led a session on integrating self-care into professional identity formation. Thank you to Professor Zimarakos for representing the VLI and helping prepare the next generation of veterans advocates.
Awards & Recognition Professor Zimarakos Gets Picked Up For Publication Morgan Zimarakos’ article, Hear Them Out? Issue Exhaustion in a Nonadversarial Administrative System, will be featured in Volume XIV, Issue 1 of the Belmont Law Review. Her article examines issue exhaustion in the U.S. veterans disability benefits system, which requires veterans to raise arguments before the agency before seeking judicial review. While common in administrative law, the doctrine conflicts with the system’s nonadversarial, claimant-friendly design and can limit meaningful court review. The article questions whether this procedural barrier belongs in veterans law and explores the doctrine's development in benefits cases. It will be published in early November.
Veterans Law Moot Court Win Prior clinic students Valeriya Gilmutdinova and Clayton Smith won the National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C., with Clayton also earning the distinction of Best Oral Advocate. Throughout the competition, Valeriya and Clayton drew inspiration from their classmate and friend Logan T. West, who passed away unexpectedly in 2024, just before competing in this competition that year. Their preparation, advocacy, and dedication culminated in a national championship, which they proudly dedicated to Logan’s memory.
NOVA Veterans Community Service Award The National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates, Inc. (NOVA) is a nonprofit educational membership organization of attorneys and advocates who represent disabled veterans. Each year, NOVA recognizes a person or organization that has provided outstanding service to America’s veterans. The VLI was honored to accept this award via Zoom during the livestream of NOVA’s annual conference. Several students were able to join us to accept this award.
NLSVCC CONFERENCE & NLSVCC CONFERENCE AND ANNUAL ANNUAL MEETING MEETING The National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium, of which the VLI is a founding member, held its conference and annual meeting on June 4–5, 2025, at Stetson University College of Law. The gathering brought together veterans clinic faculty, staff attorneys, advocates, and leaders from across the country for two energizing days of learning, collaboration, and community. The conference featured practical sessions on clinical practice, advocacy, and veterans law education, along with keynote conversations that invited meaningful reflection on our work and the communities we serve. It was especially wonderful to welcome colleagues to Stetson’s campus and connect in person after years of collaboration through Zoom, email, and listservs. We are deeply grateful to each presenter for sharing their expertise and to all who attended for making the conference such a thoughtful and engaging event. The gathering reflected the Consortium’s ongoing commitment to veterans advocacy, clinical education, and justice for those who have served.
We are proud of our continued involvement with this Consortium.
VLI Continued NLSVCC Leadership At the annual meeting, Professor Morgan Zimarakos concluded her term as President of the Consortium. Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox also returned to the board, continuing her longstanding leadership and service within the national veterans law clinic community. The VLI remains deeply involved with the Consortium and continues to maintain a strong presence across all of its committees, including the Legislative and Policy Committee, Scholarship Education Committee, and Amicus Committee.
ON BEHALF OF THE NLSVCC, WE DRAFTED AND FILED THREE AMICUS BRIEFS
In early October, we filed an amicus brief in Ripley v. Collins at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The brief supported the petitioner in a request for certification of a class action case involving veterans who do not have access to technology or expertise that would give them a greater chance of securing the benefits they are due. Morgan Zimarakos and Mary Samarkos of Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute, along with Vasilios Zimarakos (’20) and Yelena Duterte from the University of Illinois at Chicago Law collaborated on the document. The team asked the court to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to comply with a statute requiring it to provide benefits applications to veterans. Stacey-Rae Simcox, along with fellow NLSVCC member Amy Kretkowski, participated in in an amicus brief in Steele v. Collins before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The case involves the “implicit denial” doctrine, which can allow VA to treat a veteran’s claim as having been denied even when VA did not expressly tell the veteran that it was denying that claim. The brief argued that the doctrine is incompatible with VA’s uniquely pro-claimant and non-adversarial benefits system and should be eliminated. Alternatively, the brief urged the court to limit the doctrine to situations where a veteran actually received notice of VA’s full decision and a reasonable veteran in that claimant’s circumstances would have understood that the claim was denied. And lastly, we participated in an amicus brief filed by the NLSVCC in Johnson v. United States Congress before the Supreme Court of the United States. The case addresses veterans’ ability to bring constitutional challenges involving veterans-benefits statutes in various federal courts. The brief supported Veteran Floyd Johnson and argued that limiting review of constitutional issues to the specialized U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims can prevent veterans from receiving meaningful judicial review of constitutional claims. The brief urged the Supreme Court to reverse the Eleventh Circuit and preserve veterans’ ability to pursue constitutional challenges in federal district and circuit courts. The brief was prepared by veterans law clinicians Yelena Duterte of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, Meghan Brooks of the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, Zachary Outzen of William & Mary Law School, and Stacey-Rae Simcox of Stetson Law.
VLI OUTREACH STETSON COAST TO COAST This spring, the VLI hosted student veterans from Stetson’s DeLand campus. Clinic students Melissa Islam and Gregory Davis opened with a presentation on the VA claims and appeals process. Clinic students then worked with volunteer attorneys to meet one-on-one with student veterans, review their VA claims, and discuss next steps. We are grateful to our volunteers, Trista Miller, Hanah Walker, and Kathren Wilkerson, and proud to support veterans in our Stetson community.
STAND DOWN FOR HOMELESS VETERANS In April, Morgan Zimarakos and Sydnie Rouleau took three clinic students, Valeryia Gilmutdinova, Gavin Chambers, and Amber Wilson to spend a day at the Bay Pines VA Stand Down Event. Volunteers provided food, clothing, and health screenings to homeless veterans. Veterans also received referrals for housing solutions, employment, and mental health counseling. The VLI helped veterans navigate legal referrals and took applications for our services.
PRO BONO FAIR ACTIVITY For the third year in a row, the VLI hosted an activity at the annual Pro Bono Fair. With the help of over 40 student volunteers, we packed bags of necessities for local veterans experiencing homelessness. We brought these bags to Bay Pines VA Hospital, where they were distributed to veterans in need. The VLI thanks James Vickaryous, Stetson Law ‘93, for sponsoring this activity.
VLI OUTREACH ST. PETE COLLEGE VISIT This fall, the Veterans Law Institute visited St. Petersburg College to connect with student veterans and share information about the VA benefits process. VLI staff and clinic students presented on how to file a claim with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and provided practical guidance on navigating the process.
VET FEST AT 3 DAUGHTERS BREWING In November, Morgan Zimarakos and Sydnie Rouleau attended Pinellas County Vet Fest at 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Petersburg. The free community event celebrated veterans, active duty service members, and their families while bringing together local organizations, resources, and entertainment. Attendees had the opportunity to connect with service providers, learn about available resources, and celebrate those who served.
WREATH LAYING AT BAY PINES During the holiday season, Sydnie Rouleau visited Bay Pines National Cemetery to help lay wreaths on veterans’ graves. The event honored the service and sacrifice of those laid to rest there and provided a meaningful opportunity to remember veterans and their families during the holidays.
SUMMER FELLOW SPOTLIGHTS Colleen Coughlin “This summer, I had the opportunity to gain legal experience while learning about a new area of law. I entered into this fellowship with a deep appreciation for those who have served our country, and I am leaving with the knowledge, confidence, and skills necessary to advocate more effectively on behalf of others. This fellowship has been life-changing, providing me with invaluable professional experience while reinforcing my commitment to serving others through the legal profession. It has been my honor to witness the profound impact legal advocacy can have on the lives of veterans and their families.”
Claire Smith “I am so thankful for the opportunity to work with the VLI. This summer I've been able to increase my confidence working in a legal setting and I've had the opportunity to support veterans as they work with us to meet their goals. Getting to know the veterans as I've assisted with their cases and learning from the VLI staff has taught me so much about the kind of lawyer I want to become.”
Trevor Maxwell “I chose to join the Veterans Law Institute because classmates consistently spoke highly of the fellowship and the meaningful work it offers. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to work directly with real clients and see the impact that legal advocacy can have on their lives. I truly appreciate the Institute's mission of serving those who have served our country, and I am grateful to be part of an organization that has such a positive impact on the veteran community. "
Dominique Shorter “I joined the Stetson Veterans Law Institute clinic to develop practical advocacy skills in a high-stakes, client-centered context while contributing to a population I deeply respect. Working on VA benefits cases challenged me to translate legal doctrine into clear, consequential guidance, experience that directly shapes how I approach policy and regulatory work.”
Kylee Borg Peer Advisor
“I chose to spend my summer with the VLI to stay engaged with the work I did in the Spring semester and to continue learning about Veterans Law. It has been such a pleasure watching the Summer Fellows become deeply passionate about this area of law and advocating for those who served our country, just as I was able to last semester. I have greatly enjoyed providing guidance to the Fellows as they sharpen essential legal skills, including client relationships, time management, and advocacy, which the VLI helped me develop within myself."
STAFF SPOTLIGHTS JOHNNY PRUIETT Johnny Pruiett, our Assistant Director, served as the Committee Chair for the Staff Advisory Committee for the 2025-2026 academic year. Johnny also won the 2025 Spirit of Stetson Employee of the Year Award at the Staff and Faculty Holiday Celebration. The Institute would not run without him! Johnny is Stetson Law’s school certifying official and assist law students using VA benefits to make sure the benefits are properly applied. Our standing as a Top Ten Military Friendly Graduate School is due to his dedication to ensuring the success of our veteran students.
SAYING FAREWELL TO OUR FELLOW, CAPTAIN MARY SAMARKOS The VLI extends its deepest gratitude to Mary Samarkos for her two years of service as a Veterans Law Institute Fellow. Mary, an alumna of Stetson Law and the Veterans Advocacy Clinic, brought tremendous dedication, compassion, and skill to her work representing veterans in their disability benefits appeals. Mary secured nearly $430,000 in backpay and more than $7.7 million in projected lifetime disability compensation for veteran clients. Mary recently concluded her time with the VLI upon deploying to Kosovo as a Judge Advocate in the Florida National Guard. Her commitment to the military and veteran community has been evident in every part of her career, both in and out of uniform. After her deployment, Mary will move to Nashville to join her husband and their two cats, where she plans to start her own law firm. We are grateful for all she contributed to the VLI, our students, and the veterans we serve, and we wish her the very best in this exciting next chapter.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT Meghan Carter, Esq. is an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the Veterans Law Institute, where she has spent nearly two years representing veterans through the Department of Defense discharge upgrade processes. Her fellowship project focuses on representing veterans who received an Other than Honorable discharge due to post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and/or a traumatic brain injury. A successful discharge upgrade can restore access to critical benefits that were previously unavailable, including VA disability compensation and education benefits. During her fellowship, Meghan has provided direct representation to 20 veterans seeking discharge upgrades. She also represented two clients through the Department of Veterans Affairs Character of Discharge determination process, an alternative pathway that may allow veterans with an Other than Honorable discharge to be eligible for VA disability benefits. In addition to her client advocacy, Meghan developed a discharge upgrade training program and presented it to her fellowship sponsors to encourage and expand pro bono services for her discharge upgrade clients. Meghan’s passion for veterans advocacy began while she was a student in Stetson’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic, where she represented veterans seeking disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Meghan is grateful to have continued working in veterans law through her Equal Justice Works Fellowship, as it allowed her to deepen her knowledge of veterans law while serving an often-overlooked population of veterans in need of legal assistance. As her fellowship concludes in September 2026, Meghan will be transitioning to her new role at The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) as an Appellate Attorney working on cases at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Additionally, she will work with other departments at NVLSP to train volunteer attorneys on providing pro bono representation for veteran clients Thank you to Meghan’s sponsors, Deere & Co., Lane & Waterman LLP, and Riley Safer Holmes Cancila LLP!
Volunteer Spotlight Dawn Thomas worked in the engineering field for over 40 years, including 11 years of service at Lockheed Martin as a Program Quality Manager on the F-35 Training Systems program. Prior to retiring in 2021, Dawn earned a paralegal certificate from Boston University with the goal of using her training to give back to the community. Since her retirement, Dawn continued to generously share her time and talents as a paralegal volunteer with the VLI.. For the past two years, she has helped us advance our cases by preparing appeals and gathering evidence. We are extremely grateful for the work she did on our team to help our veteran clients!
Alumni Spotlight In December 2025, Stetson Law alumni Mary Samarkos, Chesley Michaels, Morgan Zimarakos, and Vasilios Zimarakos, all members of the Class of 2020, were sworn into the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. We are proud to celebrate this outstanding group of alumni and advocates whose continued service reflects Stetson Law’s commitment to supporting veterans through legal advocacy, education, and public service. They wish to thank Katie (Becker) Kittelman of the Veterans Legal Clinic at the University of Missouri for organizing this event on behalF fof the NLSVCC.
NEW PARTNERSHIPS Saarah Nicolas (Kison), Ph.D. The VLI is excited to highlight a new partnership with Dr. Saarah Nicolas, owner of Tampa Counseling & Wellness and founder of Liberty Evaluations, where she provides trauma-informed therapy and independent mental health evaluations for veterans nationwide. With more than a decade of experience working with veterans, including within the Bay Pines and Tampa VA Healthcare Systems, her work focuses on post-traumatic stress, complex trauma, transition challenges, and VA disability evaluations. Dr. Saarah Nicolas recently joined Morgan Zimarakos’ class to talk with the students about interpreting mental health symptoms under 38 C.F.R. criteria, conducting trauma-informed intakes, and managing the emotional demands of advocacy. Her perspective as a clinician gave students valuable insight into the experiences behind veterans’ claims. We are grateful for her partnership and commitment to preparing compassionate, effective advocates for veterans. "Partnering with Stetson's Veterans Law Institute lets us do what we do best. Deliver excellent clinical quality and veteran-centered evaluations that attorneys can trust and veterans deserve." Saarah Nicolas, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, Liberty Evaluations
the VLI has formed a new partnership with Genesis Genesis Brain Additionally, Brain Institute, a local organization providing neurological care and diagnostic services. The partnership grew from a shared Institute commitment to supporting veterans and improving access to medical evaluations that can play an important role in VA disability claims and appeals. After connecting with the Veterans Advocacy Clinic, members of the Genesis team welcomed Morgan Zimarakos for a facility tour and later joined the Clinic’s Veterans Law Bootcamp to learn more about how we can advocate for veterans together. Through this partnership, Genesis and the Clinic can collaborate when veterans may benefit from neurological evaluation or diagnostic testing. The VLI thanks Professor Ted Karatinos for connecting us with Genesis. "At Genesis Brain Institute, we believe that being one nation under God means caring for one another, especially those who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms. Serving our veterans is not just part of our mission; it is our calling. We are honored to provide compassionate support that helps our nation's heroes heal, thrive, and reclaim hope." - Greg Heckroth (GBI Owner)
BOB WATERS MEMORIAL MAGNOLIA DEDICATION Professor Sally Waters and the Veterans Law Institute hosted a memorial ceremony honoring Professor Waters’ husband, Bob Waters, a proud United States Army veteran who served in combat during the Vietnam War. After helping Bob navigate the veterans benefits system, Professor Waters became deeply familiar with the process and the important role that knowledgeable advocates can play in assisting disabled veterans and their families. She has also been a valuable resource to VLI students, offering guidance on research questions and helping them think carefully and thoroughly about their work on behalf of veteran clients. VLI’s Sydnie Rouleau, Mary Samarkos, and Stacey-Rae Simcox spoke at the memorial, reflecting on Bob’s service, Professor Waters’ contributions, and the lasting impact of their story on the VLI community. In recognition of Bob’s service and legacy, the VLI dedicated a magnolia tree in his memory. The magnolia was chosen as a symbol of perseverance and endurance, and its significance is especially fitting: Magnolias are native to both Vietnam, where Bob served, and South Carolina, where he was from. In a beautiful tribute, the tree’s first bloom appeared on Bob’s birthday, serving as a lasting reminder of his legacy of service and the lives that continue to be impacted in his memory.
WITH YOUR SUPPORT WE CAN CONTINUE THE GREAT WORK WE ARE DOING AT THE VETERANS LAW INSTITUTE TO CHANGE THE LIVES OF DISABLED VETERANS.
For more information, contact: Stetson University College of Law Development and Alumni Relations Office email: alumni@law.stetson.edu phone: 727-562-7818 1401 61st Street South Gulfport, Florida 33707 https://www.stetson.edu/law/veterans