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When veterans need to appear in court to appeal a decision
rejecting them for disability benefits, an attorney from the
National Veterans Legal Services Program will represent them at
no cost.
Anthony Vaughn, assistant director of the Illinois Department of
Veterans’ Affairs, told The Center Square that the goal is to
ensure fairness in the disability benefits arena.
“NVLSP will review denied claims, using their legal expertise
and knowledge of the benefits process,” Vaughn said. “The
veteran has the right to secure their own legal counsel, but
NVLSP attorneys will represent them free of charge.”
The NVLSP was founded in 1981 to defend the rights of veterans
at the highest legal level. NVLSP attorneys have extensive
training as legal advocates for veterans. That training is
“invaluable” when veterans take a case to court, Vaughn said.
As a state agency, IDVA does not represent veterans in court,
Vaughn said. The partnership with NVLSP gives Illinois veterans
free access to an attorney who will stand by them when their
appeal is heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims, Vaughn said.
The first step in the process is a review of the case by NVLSP.
If NVLSP decides there are grounds to go before the CAVC, NVLSP
will reach out to the veteran and offer their services free of
charge.
“Veterans have every right to file a claim,” Vaughn said. “We
will do everything we can, within our power, to get them the
benefits that they have earned.”
Both the IDVA and the NVLSP will help veterans to collect the
evidence they need to make their case before the court.
Sometimes the evidence does not support the claim, Vaughn said.
“As a state agency, we make sure … that we don’t leave any stone
unturned,” he said.
The partnership with NVLSP is just one more way that IDVA is
giving veterans “the highest quality of service,” he said.
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