While we enjoy the long Memorial Day weekend, please remember to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of the brave men and women who died in service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

Memorial Day is a day to memorialize and honor the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. 

On 3 June, we will be hosting a Fireside Chat about the absence of statistical analysis on the health effects of burn pits on female veterans. As a Navy veteran and husband of an Army veteran, this discussion could not be more relevant or timely. The toxic effects of burn pit exposure is the Agent Orange of our times. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates some 3.5 million service members were exposed to toxins from burn pits. And as a result, many suffer, and some die, from service-connected diseases due to their exposure. 

Women veterans face significant barriers due to the lack of clinical research, which is needed to establish direct connection between disability and exposure. Our panel, moderated by our Deputy Executive Director, Judy Donegan, will discuss the personal, legal and legislative challenges needed to overcome these barriers. Our distinguished keynote speaker and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas (pictured, left), is generously sharing her personal story to highlight the dire need for clinical research to develop medical presumptions. Don’t miss this “must see” event, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, and please share this opportunity widely with your connections.

Typically, on the last Friday in May, folks across the U.S. will exchange the parting salutation of “Enjoy your Memorial Day” or “Happy Memorial Day” and I will take is as it is meant- be well and have fun. We are already seeing tons of Memorial Day sales ads blasted from every conceivable means for cars, appliances, furniture and the unofficial official start of summer will send friends and families to the beaches, forests, pools and backyard BBQs. 

For me this weekend, I’m sure to enjoy time with my family but I’ll also take time to think about my three HSL-37 Easyrider squadron mates who crashed in the Arabian Sea in 1993 with no survivors, my good friend Rich who as a Navy pilot instructor flying T-34s, collided with another aircraft and died with his student, my father who was an Air Force Vietnam veteran and talked very little about his experiences as a combat SAR pilot and my grandfather, Pvt William H. Wakefield of the 83^rd Div, 329^th Inf Reg, who was killed on 4 October 1944 in enemy action in Luxemburg while on patrol.

Our Keynote Speaker for this event is Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas. Dr Thomas is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran who has been personally affected by burn pit exposure from her time in service. A passionate advocate of women who have served our nation, Dr. Thomas is a writer and researcher who has been published in journals like Best Practices in Mental Health and the Journal of Environmental Psychology. She has also been published in The Hill and in The Washington Post. Videos of her TEDx Talks are available on YouTube.

Women veterans experience specific barriers to care, leading to misdiagnosis, invisibility, hopelessness and more. It's time we acknowledge the gap.

Courtney L. Smith, Esq.

This is a nationwide appellate opportunity for pro bono representation at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) of veterans who have had claims unjustly denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to regain eligibility for benefits.

After more than a year in the making, the Court has launched a pilot program that offers self-represented appellants the opportunity to have representation at a Court-mediated conference with VA counsel to discuss early resolution of their case. The Court usually conducts these conferences with represented parties, but the pilot program will make the services of an experienced volunteer attorney available to self-represented appellants pro bono, for the limited purpose of participating in this conference. The pilot has the potential to significantly reduce the number of cases being decided without the benefit of counsel. This pilot program is being administered by The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program (TVC).

TVC has already assigned four cases as a part of this pilot and looks forward to many more in the coming days. For more information about the program, please contact TVC’s Deputy Executive Director, Judy Donegan at Judy.Donegan@vetsprobono.org.

Judy Donegan, TVC Deputy Executive Director and Director of Litigation, was reappointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Rules Advisory Committee for a term ending December 7, 2022.

Courtney Smith, TVC Director of Volunteer Outreach & Education, was admitted to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Committee on Admission and Practice Committee effective May 19, 2021, for a term expiring on May 19, 2024.

On April 30, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP held a “Pro Bono Lunch Friday” during which TVC attorneys Caitlin Ens and Danica Gonzalves presented pro bono opportunities that we have available.

On May 24, attorneys from international law firm, Vinson & Elkins LLP, attended a virtual training led by TVC’s Director of Volunteer Outreach & Education, Courtney L. Smith.

This training included an introduction to Veterans Benefits presented by TVC Equal Justice Works fellow, sponsored by Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, Samantha Farish. This two-hour training was web cast to attorneys, firm staff, and incoming summer associates firm-wide via Zoom.

Members of the Northrop Grumman Law Department and Covington & Burling LLP helped eight veterans in their quest to become U.S. citizens during a virtual legal clinic on May 7. Veterans who participated represented all branches of the military and were located across the U.S. and overseas.

The clinic was organized by Equal Justice Works (EJW) fellow Nicqelle Godfrey as part of her Veterans Naturalization Assistance Project (VNAP) to assist veterans through the initial naturalization process and in the appeal of naturalization denials. Northrop Grumman and Covington sponsor Nicqelle’s two-year EJW fellowship. 

The eight veterans were assisted by teams comprised of Covington attorneys, Northrop Grumman attorneys and paralegals. The volunteer teams in turn were supported by members of the VNAP team and The Veterans Consortium, which is hosting Godfrey for her fellowship. Three lawyers from the law firm Duane Morris also were on hand virtually to provide subject matter expertise to the volunteer teams during the clinic.

Written by: Northrup Grumman Law Department Newsletter

J.D. Candidate 2023

J.D. Candidate 2022

J.D. Candidate 2022

J.D. Candidate 2022

Rebecca Heisner, TVC's 2021 Spring Intern, recently graduated from Penn State Law.

Katie M. Becker, TVC's Summer 2018 David Isbell Intern, recently accepted a position as Staff Attorney at University of Georgia Law School's Veterans' Legal Clinic. Katie is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University College of Law.

Carolyn Corcoran, TVC's Spring 2020 Extern, graduated from Georgetown University Law School.