with Blank Rome ’ s Alan R . Feigenbaum about His Pro Bono Work with Veterans
Alan R . Feigenbaum is an attorney in our New York office and is a volunteer discharge upgrade attorney for The Veterans Consortium .
Q : What prompted you to get involved with pro bono work with veterans ?
A : To me , our Vets sacrifice everything — family , friends , children , life as they knew it , and so on — for strangers that they will never know . The least I can do is see to it that their service is not lost . It ’ s not enough to throw a “ Support the Troops ” logo in an endzone . If you want to support our troops , start volunteering . The opportunities are there .
Q : What was your involvement ?
A : I ’ ve been working with The Veterans Consortium (“ TVC ”) on pro bono matters since my first day at Blank Rome . I ’ m now working on my seventh discharge upgrade matter for TVC . I meet with Vets and work together with them on personal statements that reflect on why they joined the service , what happened during service , how they dealt with the onset of mental health trauma and / or military sexual assault trauma (“ MST ”), and what they are doing in civilian life to try to re-enter society in a positive manner despite the stigma of an other-thanhonorable discharge . When personal statements are complete , I prepare legal briefs to submit to the applicable Board ( Army , Navy , etc .) that will review the application and , if needed , schedule a hearing .
Q : How did it feel to help ?
A : These cases are a tonic to my daily practice . I believe it is essential for lawyers to do more , which means taking on volunteer work for a cause that they believe in and are passionate about . Being a lawyer at Blank Rome means many things , one of which is fully accepting the responsibility we have as lawyers to give our services back to those in need . While the TVC cases pull at the heartstrings , they enhance my sense of purpose and also bring further perspective to my daily work .
Q : What is next ?
Q & A
A : Each successive case I ’ ve received from TVC has been more complex , with more difficult evidentiary hurdles and heavier on the emotions . The MST cases are particularly challenging as the Vets naturally tend to be frightened of what to expect in the process . What is next for me is twofold : First , continuing this work on behalf of Blank Rome ; and second , ideally working with TVC and other veteran-focused nonprofits to bring broader attention to the sacrifices made by our Vets .
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