We look forward to introducing you to some new TVC team members joining in January. We have open positions available as some staff members have moved on to other career opportunities. We are also expanding our staff to handle our growth and increasing workload. If you are looking to serve veterans and their family members in a close-knit, non-profit that serves veterans or know of someone who fits this bill, please click on the applications below or visit our website.

From the TVC Executive Board and staff, we wish everyone good health, an abundance of joy and the blessings of the holiday season.

Our December 2021 Volunteer Inspiring Pro Bono (VIP) is the late Senator Bob Dole, a tireless advocate for veterans, who volunteered his time and talent as a member of our TVC National Volunteer Corps.

In addition to being a prominent statesmen and our nations’ longest serving Republican leader, Senator Dole was one of our own. In 1997, Senators Dole and Mitchell joined forces with TVC to successfully represent an Army veteran. Both Senators were veterans themselves and with the firm Verner Liipfert Bernhard McPherson & Hand. The appellant, Mr. James Gaddis, was a Vietnam veteran and Bronze Star recipient whose claim involved service connection for a serious spinal cord illness. This was a landmark case for TVC as it was the 1,000^th case taken since TVC's 1992 founding. 

Senator Dole served in the Army’s 10^th Mountain Division during WWII, where he was gravely wounded. He was just 22 years old and serving in Italy when he was shot in the upper back and right shoulder, shattering his collarbone and part of his spine. He was left for dead on the battlefield, where he lay clinging to life for 10 hours before medics found him. He returned home from the war in a body cast, mostly paralyzed, and spent over three years recovering from his injuries. He received two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star with Oakleaf cluster for his wounds and heroism.

Senator Dole never forgot his fellow veterans and spent the entirety of his career advocating for them, as well as the disadvantaged and disabled. Most recently, he could be spotted at the WWII memorial on weekend mornings, posing for photos with veterans and anyone else who asked. He viewed his presence there as a continuation of his public service.

Until his passing, Senator Dole served as Special Counsel at Alston & Bird LLP, a valued mission partner of The Veterans Consortium. Alston & Bird & Koch Industries, Inc. were honored together by The Veterans Consortium for their outstanding commitment with the “TVC 2021 Law Firm/Corporate Pro Bono Mission Partner” award on November 4, 2021.  

The Veterans Consortium mourns the loss of a national hero who spent his life advocating on behalf of his fellow military veterans. His passion and perseverance are an example to all of us of a life well lived.  

On Monday, December 6, Courtney Smith, Esq, TVC's Sr. Director of Volunteer Outreach & Education, served on a Military Law CLE panel presentation conducted by the Montgomery County Bar Association.

Other speakers on the panel included the Honorable C. Philip Nichols, Chief Judge (Ret.), Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland; Bardia Bastin, Esq. and Swapna Yeluri, Esq., Legal Counsel for the Elderly’s (LCE) Veterans Advocacy Project; Mike Comeau, Esq; and Michael Mays, Esq.

We would like to extend a big congratulations to the following Carlton Fields P.C. attorneys on receiving the following pro bono awards during the 15th Annual Carlton Fields Pro Bono Week Awards:

Please contact our Outreach & Communications team at outreach@vetsprobono.org to share.

TVC is proud to once again sponsor Wreaths Across America with 55 wreaths in honor of veterans in all 50 States, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

National Wreaths Across America will be held on Saturday, December 18, 2021. There may be restrictions for laying wreaths in accordance with State and local restrictions, such as ticketing requirements. Learn more about the important mission of WAA here.