8:25 Welcome and Introductions
8:30 Practice Before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC)
Tod M. Leaven, Grimes Teich Anderson LLP, Asheville
When a claimant believes the Board of Veterans' Appeals erred in its decision, the CAVC has exclusive jurisdiction to review the case. Explore factors the Court takes into consideration during its review.
9:30 Break
9:40 Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) Reform
Matthew I. Wilcut, Deuterman Law Group, Greensboro
Navigate the disability compensation application and appeals procedures following implementation of the AMA on February 19, 2019.
10:40 Break
10:50 Electronic Access to Veterans' Records‡
Christopher J. Stevens, Deuterman Law Group, Winston-Salem
Review how to obtain a personal identity verification (PIV) card- a prerequisite for gaining remote electronic access to use systems for client documentation. Learn to navigate two systems in particular, the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) and the Compensation and Pension Records Interchange (CAPRI).
11:50 Lunch Break
12:20 Compensation and Pension (C&P) Exams
Tod M. Leaven, Grimes Teich Anderson LLP, Asheville
Learn how to prepare your client for a C&P exam and how to remove a bad exam from a veteran's claim file.
1:20 Break
1:30 Downstream Issues
Matthew I. Wilcut, Deuterman Law Group, Greensboro
Discover what your client needs to know after they have been granted service-connected compensation benefits and understand the importance of your continued advocacy.
2:30 Break
2:40 Combat After Combat
John W. Brooker, UNC School of Law, Chapel Hill
Recent changes in veterans law, including law and policy surrounding the characterization of military discharges, present an opportunity for attorneys to help former servicemembers. Hear about the Fairness for Veterans Act of 2016 and the subsequent Department of Defense implementing guidance, as well as trends in military discharge upgrade cases.
3:40 Break
3:50 Project 100,000 and the New Standards Men
Robert R. Davis, Law Offices of Robert R. Davis PLLC, Charlotte
Hear about the 1960s initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Defense, how to tell if your client was in the program and what it means for participants who received less-than-honorable discharges.
4:50 Adjourn
‡ Indicates portion providing Technology Training credit
Thank you for joining us for Fight for Those Who Fought for Us: Representing Veterans Before the VA, BVA, CAVC and DoD (2020 Military & Veterans Law Section CLE)!
Learn how to recognize and advocate for veterans' benefits, gain an understanding of how you can help struggling veterans overcome barriers to success, and explore a lot of new acronyms.
John Wesley Brooker is the Clinical Associate Professor of Law, and Director of the Military and Veterans Law Clinic at UNC School of Law in Chapel Hill. He joined the faculty in 2018 following over 20 years of active duty service in the U.S. Army. He directs the Military and Veterans Law Clinic and teaches a variety of courses in the national security law field. His teaching and research interests include military criminal law, veterans law, national security law, and public international law.
John served for two years as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for U.S. Army Africa/Southern European Task Force in Vicenza, Italy.
John received his B.A. in Politics and History from Wake Forest University, his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, his LL.M. from The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army and his M.M.A.S. from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Click here for more information about John.
Robert R. Davis started the Law Offices of Robert R. Davis to handle veterans' benefits and military record correction issues. Robert began his career clerking for U.S. District Court Judge, Joseph J. Farnan, Jr., in Delaware and then practiced complex corporate litigation before moving to Charlotte in 2006.
Robert received his juris doctor from William and Mary and also received a Master's Degree in Public Policy. Robert earned his undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University.
Robert's law firm is located in Charlotte but represents clients throughout the United States and overseas.
Click here for more information about Robert.
Tod Michael Leaven is a partner at Grimes Teich Anderson LLP in Asheville. His areas of practice include Veterans' disability compensation, benefits for dependents, military discharge upgrades, VA healthcare benefits, extended care programs, education and rehabilitation, USERRA and FMLA protections for service members, assistance with Veteran-owned businesses, and wills and estates.
Tod was born into a family of service, both his grandfather and father served abroad in the United States Army. He served in the United States Army from 1998 to 2004, including the initial Kosovo Occupation with the 501st Military Intelligence Battalion, 1st Armored Division, and the Iraq War with the 3rd Squadron of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.
Tod is currently an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law, teaching Veterans Benefits and assisting in its Military and Veterans Law Clinic. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications ranging from Veterans and military affairs to intellectual property. He founded and still runs the annual GTA Homeless Veteran Legal Clinic, which provides free legal services to homeless Veterans in Western North Carolina. He has been an active member and line officer with the Disabled American Veterans, Department of North Carolina. He is a member of local, state-wide, and national Veterans' advocacy groups; is an active member of the Buncombe County Bar Association's Pro Bono Committee; and is a member of the local board of the Selective Service System. He currently serves as a board member on the Asheville City Noise Ordinance Appeals Board.
Tod earned his B.S., summa cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
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Christopher John Stevens is a member at The Deuterman Law Group in Winston-Salem. Representing veterans on VA claim appeals is his sole area of practice at the firm. He is accredited by the VA to represent veterans and their families on appeals of their VA disability claims. He is also admitted to practice at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Chris is the current Chair of the Military and Veterans Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. He is also a member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates, a group whose membership includes attorneys and other advocates for disabled veterans.
Chris is the current Chair of the Military and Veterans Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, which coordinates state bar activities and initiatives impacting military and veterans. He is also a member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates, a group whose membership includes attorneys and other advocates for disabled veterans.
As an attorney, Chris has done pro bono work as part of Elon Law's Vet Your Records clinic for former military service members veterans, raised money for the Samaritan Ministries Penny Campaign and participated in firm-wide volunteer efforts.
Christopher graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in business administration, double majoring in economics and marketing and earned his J.D. from the UNC School of Law. While in law school, he won the Eugene Gressman & Daniel H. Pollitt Appellate Advocacy Award for Best Appellant Argument.
In his free time, Chris enjoys following state and national politics, playing guitar, watching football and competing in trivia competitions.
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Matthew Ian "Matt" Wilcut is a partner at Sutton Snipes in Greensboro. He formed Sutton Snipes, a boutique firm focusing exclusively on veteran disability appeals, in January 2021. He leads the agency practice group within the firm, representing veterans and their family members before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as an accredited attorney.
With the start of the Fall 2022 semester, Matt is an Adjunct Professor of Law and the Supervising Attorney of the Veterans Advocacy Clinic at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana.
Matt has been head of the VA agency practice group since he entered private practice in 2017. He started his legal career as an AmeriCorps volunteer with Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) through NC VetsCorps. At the end of his AmeriCorps term, he joined LANC's Durham office as a Staff Attorney, working primarily within their VA Disability Practice Group. During his time employed by LANC, he was also the Supervising Attorney for the Duke University School of Law's Veteran's Assistance Project.
Matt is former President, Secretary, and member of the Board of Directors of the National Law School Veterans Clinics Consortium, the first and only Veteran Service Organization (VSO) recently approved by Congress and the VA to focus on legal advocacy. He is also former Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary of the Military & Veterans Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.
Matt earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice from Appalachian State University and his J.D. from Elon University School of Law.
Click here for more information about Matt.