November 13/Web: Veterans Benefits Law: Women Veterans; and Don't Ask, Don't Tell, One Year Later #MCLE

Thousands of veterans have returned home from overseas service in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom are women.  Women currently comprise 14.5% of the active duty military, and 18% of the National Guard and Reserves.  The VA denies female veterans’ disability claims for PTSD at a greater rate than male veterans’ claims for the same condition.  Women veterans face other obstacles their male counterparts do not encounter.
Since 1994, over 14,000 veterans have been discharged under the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy.  Now individuals of any sexual orientation may serve openly in the military, but what about justice for those veterans who suffered under this policy?  Military administrative review boards may be able to change these veterans’ reason for discharge, or upgrade an unjust discharge status resulting from the DADT policy.
Katherine Dwight, Starlyn Lara, and Teresa Panepinto of Swords to Plowshares will discuss the aforementioned issues and offer tips for representing women veterans before the VA and LGBT veterans before the military’s Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records.
The discussion will include:

• Barriers women veterans face accessing VA benefits and VA healthcare
• Presumptive stressors for combat-related PTSD, but not for PTSD that stems from military sexual trauma (MST)
• Legal remedies for veterans discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:  who benefits, who loses out

Register now and don’t miss this important Free Briefing!
Title:
Veterans Benefits Law: Women Veterans; and Don't Ask, Don't Tell, One Year Later
When/Where:
November 13, 2012
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm  EST (10:00 AM-11:AM PST)
Audio-only Webcast
Speakers:

• Katherine Dwight ~ Staff Attorney, Swords to Plowshares
• Starlyn Lara ~ Program Associate, Womens Veterans Coordinator, Swords to Plowshares
• Teresa Panepinto ~ Legal Director, Swords to Plowshares
• Program Attorney: Amy Taub ~ Practising Law Institute

Credit:
1 Credit in many states
By:
Practising Law Institute

More Information And Registration

October 23/Web: Military Issues in Family Law Cases Webinar #MCLE

Topics:

• An overview of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and it impacts a family law case
• How to serve an active duty party
• Child support when one party is in the military
• Dividing military retirement accounts

Title:
Military Issues in Family Law Cases Webinar
When/Where:
Wednesday - October 23, 2012
Noon - 1pm
WEBINAR
Credit:
1.0 Standard CLE Credit
Presenter: 
Jenna Westby, LEGALnudge LLC
Cost: 
$25; $10 Discounted Rate
More Information and Registration:
http://www.volunteerlawyersnetwork.org/CLEs (scroll down to event)

October 11/Philadelphia: National Organization of Veterans' Advocates New Practitioner Session

The 2012 NOVA conference, to be held at the Sheraton Society Hill in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, includes a one-day New Practitioner Session scheduled for Thursday, October 11, 2012. The general seminar, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 12 & 13, is filled with a wide array of interesting and informative topics and presenters.
The NOVA conference is intended for both new practitioners to the area of veterans’ law and more advanced practitioners. The seminar will increase your knowledge, confidence level, and expertise in representing veterans before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition, your time may be credited to your jurisdiction’s CLE requirements.
Title: 
National Organization of Veterans' Advocates New Practitioner Session
When/Where:
Thursday October 11, 2012
By: 
National Organization of Veterans' Advocates
Location: 
Sheraton Society Hill
Philadelphia, PA
Contact: 
Regina Alegre
National Organization of Veterans' Advocates
RAlegre-NOVA@cox.net
www.vetadvocates.org 
More Information:
http://www.vetadvocates.org/Brochure_8.2.12.pdf

VA Facilities Locator

Looking for your nearest VA Facility? Use this handy VA Facilities Locator!
Hosted by the VA itself (so it's pretty official) this web page helps you find your nearest VA facility using a map, a zip code, or other options:

Try it yourself at VA Facilities Locator!

For example, I went looking to see what's near me in Seattle. I clicked on the state of Washington, and got this list:

Then I decided I just wanted to look at the closest 5 facilities. I put in my zip code and got:

Attorneys Representing #Veterans for Rightful VA Benefits

If you're looking for a lawyer who might help you get the VA benefits that you are entitled to, one place to start is the website http://www.attorneys4veterans.com/

I checked several of the attorneys they listed and they did indeed seem to be licensed lawyers who represented veterans in such claims. I haven't checked them all, and you should always pick a lawyer
with as great care as you would pick a doctor, but this looks like a good place to start.

This website lists lawyers according to their state, so you can just scroll or Control-F down to your state to see those in your state.

Technology Note:
The list of state abbreviations at the top currently appears to be broken; I'll email the site admin to see if that can be fixed, but for now, scrolling should work.

Note For Lawyers:
If you are a qualifying lawyer, you might think about getting youself added to the site. Why not? It might steer some people your way.

October 26/Boston (but register now!) Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program 2012 Training Seminar #MCLE

2012 training for the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program is open for applications now! An all-day training will be held in Boston on October 19, 2012, and can lead to a career-changing opportunity to "do well by doing good".
These trainings tend to fill up so register soon!
Title:
2012 Training Seminar
When/Where:
October 26, 2012
9:00AM to 5:00PM
Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP
Boston, MA.
By:

• Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP
• Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program

Registration:

In order to attend the training, you must complete the application form, which is available here. You would be wise to register early, to avoid disappointment when the program fills up.
The Program provides training free of charge to attorneys who agree to represent a veteran/VA claimant or family member before the Veterans Court. As well as receiving the day-long training, attorneys who participate are assigned a case that has been screened for merit and provided a screening memo outlining the issues in the case. Volunteers are also assigned a mentor (a practicing veterans’ law lawyer or practitioner) to give advice and share sample pleadings. Attorneys also receive the Veterans Benefits Manual (VBM) and other resource materials.

• Malpractice insurance is provided.
• CLE credits are available.

Learn more at:

http://www.vetsprobono.org/volunteer-today/training-dates-for-volunteer-attorneys/

• Attorney Training Brochure & FAQs
• Training Dates for Volunteer Attorneys
• Current Volunteers
• Contact Outreach & Education

September 20/San Francisco: Civil Service, Military Retirements and Veterans’ Benefits

The Family Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco presents a meeting on Civil service, military retirements and veterans’ benefits. Bring all of your questions about this complicated and very specific area of the law to ask our experts.
This is a meeting. No MCLE will be provided.
Title:
Civil Service, Military Retirements and Veterans’ Benefits
When/Where:
September 20, 2012
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
BASF Conference Center
301 Battery Street
3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Speakers:

• Kathryn Kirkland, Law Offices of Kathryn Kirkland
• Julianne Howard

More: 

http://www.sfbar.org/calendar/eventdetail.aspx?id=X120123/X120123