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Military & veterans Affairs committee Chairs : RobertBarton — Rumberger / Kirk & SteveCollins — LawOfficeofRoryWeiner
When leaving the military , most Veterans have the right to file a disability claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ). Filing a disability claim with the VA is the primary method for Veterans to receive compensation for illnesses and injuries sustained while serving — to include combat . Unfortunately , this can be a complex and cumbersome process for a Veteran to handle without proper assistance and representation .
Thankfully , there is an opportunity for our legal community to assist . The VA has an accreditation program for attorneys to help Veterans and their family members receive appropriate representation on their VA benefits claims . Accredited attorneys who are assisting Veterans pro bono can help prepare , present , and prosecute Veterans claims before the VA . For attorneys who charge fees , they may only assist with claims after a VA regional office has issued a decision on an initial claim and must adhere to other restrictions . 1 Attorneys may only be accredited in their individual
thevahasan accreditationprogram forattorneystohelp veteransandtheir familymembers receiveappropriate representationontheir vabenefitsclaim .
capacity , and not through a firm , company , or organization .
To obtain accreditation , the attorney must complete a VA Form 21 ( a ) and attach to the VA Form 21 ( a ) a recently dated Certificate of Good Standing from all state bars , courts , or Federal Agencies to which the attorney is admitted . Unfortunately , Federal Employees are not permitted to provide representation before the VA on behalf of claimants . 2 Once Form 21 ( a ) is filled out and all supporting documentation is included , the packet must be mailed to the Office of General Counsel ( OGC ) 3 where an initial decision should be made between 60 and120 days . Following initial accreditation , the attorney ’ s name and information will be published on the VA / OGC website . 4
Once an attorney is accredited , there are Continuing Legal Education ( CLE ) requirements to maintain accreditation . The attorney MUST complete three ( 3 ) hours of qualifying CLE requirements during the first 12-month period of initial accreditation by the VA and an additional three ( 3 ) hours no later than three ( 3 ) years from the date of initial accreditation and every two ( 2 ) years thereafter . 5 Accredited attorneys are also subject to the Standards of Conduct listed in 38 C . F . R . § 14.632 .
While the requirements to obtain and maintain accreditation seem onerous , there is a great need . In 2022 alone , the VA completed 1.7 million disability compensation and pension claims , a 12 % increase from the previous year , 6 and there are no signals these numbers are going to fall anytime soon . Also consider there are also more than 88,000 Veterans residing in Hillsborough County 7 alone , which makes our area one of the biggest for need . Please consider serving our local Veterans by becoming accredited , offering help to a local Veteran Service Organization , and assisting Veterans with their disability claims . Let ’ s serve those who have already served us ! n
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Contact the MVAC Co-Chairs to Join the Veterans Legal Assistance Registry ( VLAR ).
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