17 January 2019
Our dedicated Client Services Team grew in 2018 to meet the increased demand for legal support. The client services team works with new, potential, and current pro se veterans and their loved ones, responding to calls and correspondence with appropriate assistance and case updates, and manages a legal assistance and information helpline program which provides process explanations and guidance for cases before the U.S. Court of A ppeals for Veterans Claims (CA VC). While they primarily assist with CAVC cases, the team is knowledgeable about the many resources available to veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors, and will always be able to guide and provide them with contact information for resources. The mantra of the client services team is to never turn away a veteran because they are ineligible for direct federal Veterans Pro Bono Program support for their issue. They can always provide them with resources to assist them with legal and non-legal issues. The Client Services Team certainly can always listen and give them the time and respect they deserve and so often have not received in their battle to receive services and benefits. We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to this fine group of professionals on the front lines at TVC.
SANDY PET ERSON Sandy Peterson is the Manager of Client Services at The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program and has served as an integral part of the team for 10 years. Sandy supports the Consortium mission by managing the Client Services Team and the organization’s Legal Assistance and Information Helpline Program. She oversees staff and processes, ensuring that clients are informed about the Court’s procedures and how TVC can help. She is a graduate of the University of Mary "I’m grateful to have Washington and key member of the TVC management such a talented and team. dedicated team. We are all here because we honor the service of our veterans and we are proud to serve them. It’s a way to show our gratitude for the sacrifices they and their families made for us and our country.”
Her favorite part about working at TVC is her interaction with veterans, hearing their stories about how they fought for our Country, the pride they take in their service, and what they went through for the freedoms we enjoy. Sandy sets the tone for the team she leads - always respectful and helpful - honoring the clients we serve.
GIOVANNA COPAT Giovanna Copat serves as a Paralegal and member of the Client Services Team. She joined The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program in May 2018 and is responsible for assisting with client intake, court filings and monitoring court due dates. As a native Spanish speaker, Giovanna also assists with translation and communication with veterans and their family members from Spanish speaking communities. Giovanna is originally from Los Angeles, California and served in the U.S. Army for 3 years before joining the Indiana National Guard, where she served for 10 years. She is a graduate of Indiana State University (BS, Political Science) and Indiana University Maurer School of Law (JD). "I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Client Services Team. A ll of us here genuinely care about the veterans we serve. It’s a team effort but more than that, it feels like a family. A s a veteran myself, I’m honored to help fellow veterans and their dependents as they navigate through the appeals process at the court.”
PET ER GREGORY Peter Gregory joined the Client Services Team in July 2018 and serves as a Client Services Specialist with The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program. He provides operations support, including operating the Legal Assistance and Information Helpline, assisting with client support and outreach, and processing client intakes. Peter is originally from Greensboro, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a double major in Global Studies and Geography, minoring in Public Policy.
“I am happy and grateful to work with The Veterans Consortium and the Client Services Team because we all work together in a supportive environment geared towards a single goal of helping veterans. TVC staff, especially those in Client Services, are kind, motivating, and educating in their attempts to work closely with one another while helping veterans at the Court.”
MORGAN ROBINSON Morgan Robinson joined the Client Services Team parttime in October 2018. Morgan manages a variety of client services tasks such as handling client correspondence and providing callers with information and resources for their VA issues. She also assists with our website content to ensure updated and accurate information is available. Morgan is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and attended Spelman College. She is currently a first-year graduate student in the History Department at Georgetown University.
“It’s important to me to be to be a part of an organization that helps serve those that have unselfishly served our country.”
TVC VOLUNTEER INSPIRING PRO BONO (VIP) J
JO O N A T HA N U LRIC H, ESQ .
TVC National Volunteer Corps℠ U. S. A rmy National Guard White & Case LLP
s er v i n g v eter an s an d h i s i n i ti ati v e i n r ecr u i ti n g s o m an y p r o b o n o attt o r n e y s , U l r i c h h a s b e e n n a m e d a s T h e V e t e r a n s C o n s o r t i u m Vo ol u n teer I n s p i r i n g P r o Bo n o ( V I P ) f o r J an u ar y 2 0 1 9 . The veteran’s pro bono project Ulrich designed at White & Case is also somewhat uncommon. It provides attorneys to help veterans at three different stages: initial claims at the VA Regional Office, appeals before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. “I thought it would be useful to develop depth at each level of the claims process,” Ulrich says, citing a desire to “cover the full spectrum,” and not just the later stages of a case. It was one of the things that first bothered Ulrich and has stuck with him – the many years veterans spend seeking compensation. Getting help from an attorney in the earlier stages may help speed resolution to the cases. “This is dedication,” said Courtney Smith, Director of Outreach and Education for TVC, who helped Ulrich with his plans and efforts to expand veterans pro bono legal services at White & Case. “The support that Jonathan has provided both individually and through his amazing recruitment efforts is exceptional. He is a remarkable advocate for veterans and for our services. Jonathan truly deserves to be our January Volunteer Inspiring Pro Bono (VIP).”
Ulrich has had an uncanny knack for finding cases, as well. While serving in disaster relief for the American Red Cross in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, he was working alongside a Vietnam veteran who had been fighting a claim for decades. Ulrich took on his case and secured a remand from the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. The case is ongoing. When his sister-in-law traveled recently to China, she met a Gulf War veteran suffering from injuries from years ago who didn’t know what his options were, Ulrich says. She referred the veteran to Ulrich for similar help. “People just seem to pop up. They have their stories, they have their service and conditions that have lingered after,” Ulrich says. “It keeps happening that way, not by design. I’m inspired by their service to find ways to serve them.” When he’s not working at the law firm, Ulrich continues to serve in the Army National Guard and in disaster relief work with the American Red Cross. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C.
EX ECU T I VE D I R ECT O R ' S CO R N ER With the holiday season and year-end celebrations behind us, it’s time to focus on the work to be done and to renew our commitment to those who served our country and their loved ones. As the leading national charitable enterprise providing pro bono legal services to veterans in federal venues, our TVC National Volunteer Corps℠ continues to successfully represent veterans from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. Territories. This year, we look forward to increasing our support for those veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors we serve.
This month, we celebrate and honor the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the MLK Day of Service. TVC Staff and members of our TVC National Volunteer Corps℠ will perform our Day of Service that week on Saturday, 26 January at the DC VA Medical Center (DCVAMC) by volunteering in the annual Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down.
Winterhaven provides services to homeless and at-risk veterans. Typically, over 70 community and government agencies join forces at this annual event to avert homelessness. Hundreds of veterans will come through the doors of the DCVA MC for a full day of services such as: health screenings, housing and employment counseling, substance abuse, psycho-social services, dental exams, and legal support. TVC will have an outreach and resource table available and will be operating a Pro Bono Legal Clinic throughout the day.
EX ECU T I VE D I R ECT O R ' S CO R N ER This will be the third year that we’ve officially supported this event and we look forward to once again lending our support. Last year, we engaged with more than 300 veterans and assisted 33 veterans that had an immediate need for triage legal support. Other veterans, who did not have pressing legal needs, received information and referrals to our Veterans Pro Bono Legal Clinic that occurs every Friday, through our Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) with the Transition and Care Management Office at the DC VA Medical Center and with NLSP-DC. TVC Staff will participate in another service opportunity to observe the MLK Day of Service when we assist in removing some of the 250,000+ wreaths that we helped place at Arlington National Cemetery on 16 December for the annual Wreaths Across America event. Thousands of volunteers are needed at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, 19 January. Please join us at Arlington National Cemetery or inquire with your local cemetery to see if they need support for this volunteer effort. The entire TVC Staff and I wish you all a happy, healthy and productive new year. We look forward to our continued mission partnership with you to ensure our nation’s defenders get the care, benefits and compensation they were promised, and the best legal services, free of charge, to meet their challenges.
Th he V e t e r a n s C o n s o r t i u m w o u l d l i k e t o w i s h y o u a h a p p y a n d h e a lt h y 2 0 1 9 !
O P P O R T U N I T I ES AT T VC TVC has externships available for qualified candidates interested in helping our pro bono attorney s win federal appeals cases for our clients before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). This also includes helping with military discharge upgrades ("bad paper" discharges) and assisting with determination of final outcomes of client cases. Externs will receive academic credit. Externs will support full-time staff attorneys, volunteer attorneys, and clients who appeal to, or receive a remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the Federal Circuit, and the Supreme Court. Selected externs will assist in the full life-cycle of case management, from intake to research and strategy, to Court mandate and follow-up, to determining real-world results and impact. Although any student may apply, we give priority to rising 3L students. We are open to externships that count for either one course per semester, or two courses per semester, depending on your law school's current arrangements and preference. Please address the following questions in your cover letter: W hy do you want to work in the area of veterans law? W hat is your motivation to work with veterans and their families, caregivers, or survivors? W hat sets you apart from other candidates? S U B MIT A C O V E R L E T T E R A N D R E S U ME detailing your interest and motivation to Courtney Smith, at c o u r t n e y . s m it h @ v e t s p r o b o n o . o r g .
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