Lawyers Serving Warriors®

Pro Bono Program

Lawyers Serving Warriors^®

Founded in 2007, Lawyers Serving Warriors® (LSW), NVLSP’s pro bono program, offers free legal assistance to veterans and active duty military personnel of all eras through a national network of volunteer attorneys from private law firms and corporate legal departments. The program provides legal representation in cases before military administrative discharge review agencies, VA regional offices, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and the courts that review the decisions of these agencies.

LSW clinic with pro bono attorneys held at DAV Chapter 47 offices in Petersburg, VA

NVLSP staff attorneys use their expertise in veterans’ law to screen the medical and personnel records of service members and veterans, and to identify meritorious cases. NVLSP attorneys then train and mentor volunteer lawyers to ensure successful advocacy. This program allows NVLSP to act as a multiplier and help a far greater number of veterans and service members than we could alone. LSW and pro bono partners also leverage their combined knowledge and experience to produce several training manuals to help volunteer attorneys quickly come up to speed. These manuals address important topics such as service connection claims for survivors of military sexual trauma and the correction of wrongful military discharges for personality and adjustment disorders.

Over the years, LSW has assisted over 3,000 veterans and active duty personnel in their efforts to receive the benefits they deserve. In 2018, the program placed over 400 individual cases for full representation and further provided advice and brief services to over 200 individuals at clinics. With veterans’ growing need for legal assistance, LSW has recently forged new partnerships to help serve more veterans. Some of the 2018 clinic partners include the Community Care Unit WTB-Fort Belvoir, Va.; DAV Chapter 47, Petersburg, Va.; District of Columbia Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, Fayetteville Vet Center, N.C.; Senior Law Center, Pa.; Soldier & Family Assistance Center (SFAC) Walter Reed Military Medical Center; National Association of Black Veterans (NABVETS); Prince George’s Community College of Veterans Services, Md.; and Prince George’s County Office of Veterans Affairs, Md.

Lawyers Serving Warriors® assists with the following types of claims:

Appeals

LSW attorneys represent veterans at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). Common issues include service-connected disabilities related to military service, earlier effective date for benefits, and higher disability ratings.

Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

Assistance with VA claims for service connection for mental disorders due to military sexual trauma.

Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)

Assistance with applying for Combat-Related Special Compensation, which is a tax-free benefit provided to qualified military retirees.

Military Medical Retirement

Offer representation on:

Military medical separation processing for active service members.
Corrections of military records to grant medical retirement, including for a misdiagnosed personality disorder or adjustment disorder.
Physical Disability Board of Review rating increases for Post-9/11 veterans.

Discharge Upgrades

Offer assistance in:

Upgrading less than honorable discharges. The majority of the clients served through this project have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), or other mental health conditions that are related to military service.
Removing the stigmatizing label of personality or adjustment disorders from the discharge certificate for veterans who were suffering from a service-incurred mental disability, such as PTSD, TBI, or a similar disorder.

Apply To Lawyers Serving Warriors®

Pro Bono Program