| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW |
NOVEMBER 12, 2025 | | | |
Greetings,
This week, we recognize and honor the veterans in our community and share highlights from the work of the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic.
Sincere thanks to all who have served.
| | Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic Serves Hundreds of Veterans | | |
For more than a decade, the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic has been offering free legal support to U.S. military veterans. Under the leadership of Clinical Professor and Director Kristine Huskey, the clinic addresses challenges faced by veterans in transitioning from military to civilian life.
The clinic represents veterans and service members in a veterans treatment court and provides legal assistance to veterans on disability cases and cases involving discharge upgrades and corrections to military records. The clinic also helps veterans through a robust intake and referral program, and by engaging in special projects and community outreach.
The Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic has had a productive and busy year with its ongoing collaboration at the Tucson VA (Veterans Affairs) hosting pop-up legal clinics and the continuing work of the Rural and Tribal Veterans Outreach Project.
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Veterans Clinic by the Numbers
In the last year….
We represented:
158 veterans and servicemembers in veterans treatment court
5 veterans on discharge upgrade cases
1 veteran on a disability benefits compensation case
1 veteran in a Character of Discharge (COD) determination
We provided referrals and free legal advice in:
11 VA Pop-Up Clinics
5 Standdowns
2 legal clinics in rural and Tribal communities
In addition, our Intake and Referral Program assisted approximately 171 veterans with referrals and limited legal advice.
Other highlights:
- Veterans Clinic students submitted an amicus brief to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
- The Veterans Clinic was one of five recipients to receive the U.S. DOJ’s Access to Justice Prize: Closing the Rural Justice Gap, a national competition recognizing innovative legal solutions.
- In April 2025, Caleb Lynch and Brian Fitzsimmons were selected to receive the Ted and Linda Strong Scholarship for Veterans Advocacy. The scholarship supports clinic students who demonstrate academic excellence and have an interest in serving communities that have disproportionately experienced injustice.
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In our Veterans Treatment Court program, led by Assistant Director Lori Lewis, clinic students represent veterans and active-duty servicemembers who have been charged with misdemeanors and diverted to a treatment program. In the last year, our students participated in 50 half-day court sessions, representing approximately 158 clients. Many of our veteran-clients graduated from the treatment court and most had their charges dismissed.
One recent client who graduated from veterans treatment court expressed thanks in a letter:
“Each of you play a meaningful role in helping people like me grow, heal, and move forward. What you do truly changes lives, and I'm thankful to have been part of a program that proves second chances can lead to something better.”
Law students who worked in veterans treatment court over the last year include:
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Taylor Alexander
Sarah Avila
Taeya Dickamore
Danielle Chapman (’25)
Brian Fitzsimmons
Jacquelyn Francisco
Isabella Genovese
Gabriel Hawi (’25, veteran)
Caleb Hayter (’25, veteran)
Marissa Hines (’25)
Kyle James (’25)
Luke Kauffman
Zach Kauffman
Peter Kerr
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Matthew Lubisich (’25)
Caleb Lynch (’25)
Keaton Markley
Joseph McCarthy (Reserves)
Simon Moazez
Matthew Morris
Kayne Pike (veteran)
Carissa Patton
Heather Reed (’25, veteran)
Madison Rudd
Ethan Scott
Jennifer Shim
Tom Williams (’25)
Hayden Young (’25)
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The Veterans Clinic also represented an Air Force veteran on his disability benefits compensation case that was appealed to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). Although he was unable to work, the VA granted only partial benefits. When the denial was appealed to the CAVC, the clinic wrote a memo to the VA secretary arguing why the VA’s denials were inadequate. After negotiating, CAVC granted a remand for our client’s case to be returned to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals to correct errors in its decision. Law students Carissa Patton and Tom Williams were instrumental in the outcome.
Our VA Pop-Up Clinics project, led by Clinic Staff Attorney Dayna Michael (’17, veteran) has continued the clinic’s partnership with Southern Arizona VA to provide free legal clinics on site at Tucson VA. Through these pop-up legal clinics, veterans are provided with resources and volunteer attorneys are on hand to do intakes for legal services such as family law, wills and estates. During the last year, the Clinic hosted 11 pop-up clinics at Tucson VA and assisted 81 veterans with their legal needs.
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The Rural and Tribal Veterans (RTV) project, established just last year, aims to increase access to legal services and VA benefits to veterans living in small towns and rural communities that have limited access to legal professionals and the justice system. The RTV team often participates in standdowns, which are typically one day events organized to provide supplies and services to veterans.
In the last year, the RTV project, formerly led by clinic fellow Valorie Douglas (’21), has participated in several standdowns in Coconino, Graham and Navajo Counties. Additionally, in partnership with the Hopi Tribe, RTV provided free legal services to Hopi veterans in an all-day legal clinic in the Bacavi Village Community Center. Law students Brian Fitzsimmons, Taeya Dickamore, Caleb Lynch, Kayne Pike, Madison Rudd and Hayden Young, and BA in Law student Yubin Hanson have spent a lot of time on the road, traveling to these far away events to go where the veterans are.
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Finally, the fall semester 2025 RTV Team, with a little extra help from Ethan Scott, submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Federal Circuit Court in support of rural veterans who are unable to access VA benefits and services that are only offered online, simply because rural communities do not have access to reliable internet and cell service, if at all.
The clinic continued to provide telephone intakes and referrals to the many veterans and family members who contacted the clinic requesting legal assistance. In the last year, we fielded 171 inquiries from veterans who sought legal assistance. UA undergraduate interns Rosie Ezgur and Rudy Granado, as well as clinic law students, helped veterans with their requests, researched and referred veteran-friendly attorneys and non-profit organizations for civil issues. Special thanks to law student Simon Moazez, who interned over the summer and continued this semester as the intake coordinator.
The clinic is lucky to have the assistance of volunteer attorneys and other experts helping to teach and supervise our students: Michelle Moore(’15, veteran), Anna Caruso, Robert McManimon (Eller ’22, veteran), Megan Hoffman (veteran), Zachary Gleason, Tom Strong, Donald Walton (’19, veteran) and Gary Kraft. And, many thanks to Judge Thaddeus Semon (’98, veteran), who guest lectures in our class every semester.
We are truly grateful to have the support of the entire College of Law community, which helps us to help those who have served.
| | Meet the Students: Two Veterans Clinic Students Reflect on Service | | |
In this week’s newsletter, we introduce two clinic students, Christine Lancia and Joseph McCarthy.
Christine, who will be participating in the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic in the spring 2026 semester, served in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years and is now pursuing a Master of Legal Studies (MLS).
What brought you to the University of Arizona?
When my husband and I moved from Tacoma, WA, to Tucson about a year and a half ago for retirement (he’s an avid golfer), I saw it as a chance to start a new chapter. We didn’t have many ties here, so I wanted to find something that would help me connect with my new community. The University of Arizona felt like the perfect fit for that change; it’s such a cornerstone of Tucson.
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Tell us about your military service.
I served in the U.S. Army for just over 20 years and retired from service in January 2023 as a Lieutenant Colonel. I primarily served as a Military Police officer and later in an Inspector General role. My work took me into law-adjacent settings, including law enforcement and criminal investigations, as well as compliance.
Some unique assignments I had were working with the Afghanistan police forces and detention operations and serving as a warden of the Military Correctional Facility. I also was seconded to the United Nations for the peacekeeping mission in Mali, Africa. (Yes, I’ve been to Timbuktu.)
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What does being a veteran mean to you?
There is a quiet pride that never fades. It’s knowing that I was part of something bigger than myself, and I carried responsibility many will never know or see. What grounds me is the connection with other veterans. There is that unspoken understanding and connection, which is why I’m excited to join the Veterans Law Advocacy Clinic in the spring.
What are you looking forward to in the clinic?
Being part of the VALC feels like a chance to serve again, but in a different way. It’s an opportunity to advocate and use my legal education to make a real impact and difference in the lives of Veterans.
What do you plan/hope to do after graduation? What’s your dream job?
I have no idea, honestly. This spring, I’ll be taking a leave of absence from my job so I can focus fully on my studies, and I think that pause will give me the space to reflect on what’s next. I’ve completed the alternative dispute resolution concentration and will sit for the Legal Paraprofessional exam in Administrative Law this summer, fingers crossed.
I may return to my role in workplace investigations; yet I’m seriously considering taking the LSAT and applying to the JD program. I would like to find a way to stay more connected to the Veteran community. The future feels limitless...
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Joseph McCarthy is a member of the Army Reserves and plans to serve in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) corps after graduation. In the Veterans Law Advocacy Clinic, he has assisted clients in veterans treatment court.
What brought you to the University of Arizona?
I came to law school as a part of my future service in the Army. While in undergrad at the University of Alabama, I commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Army. I was accepted into a program that allowed me to defer my military service until after law school, so that I could enter as a JAG officer immediately. I came to the University of Arizona because it was an entirely new part of the country and I wanted to meet new people with entirely different perspectives to what I was used to.
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Tell us about your work with the clinic.
To anyone interested in joining a clinic, you won't find a better one to learn and work with clients who truly benefit from your help. The opportunity to represent your clients before a judge is an incredible learning experience, especially for anyone who might be nervous about working in a courtroom.
Why is entering the JAG corps after graduation the right step for you?
Initially, I wanted to join the Army JAG because that’s where I thought I could best contribute my skills and knowledge to the organization as a whole. After working in the clinic, my perspective has shifted. I want to join the Army JAG to help the individual troops who often get into tough situations and need help. It’s my hope that if I can help them, when they get out of the military, they will be better prepared and won’t make the mistakes that I’ve seen many of my clients in the clinic make.
| | Just in Time for the Holidays...Support the SBA | | |
Want to get a head start on holiday shopping while supporting Arizona Law students?
Until November 17, new Arizona Law apparel is available for pre-order to benefit the Student Bar Association. These items will be available for direct shipping for orders placed this week only.
A portion of each purchase goes towards funding events such as Barrister’s Ball.
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Do You Have News?
Your success is the college’s success and we want to celebrate with you! If you have landed a new job, received an award or recognition, stepped into a leadership role or have good news in general, let us know.
| | | The University of Arizona and the College of Law are deeply connected to the veterans community. We’re honored to count so many veterans among our students, alumni and friends, and we are grateful for your service. | | | | |
