Veterans Advocacy in Pennsylvania: Basic Veterans Law

Join us for part two of the three-part series, Veterans Advocacy in Pennsylvania. 

In Pennsylvania, there are over 845,000 veterans, with over half age 65 or older. As an advocate for those who so nobly served our country, it’s important that you understand veterans law – from the basics and beyond, including recent changes and developments in the law. You play an essential role in removing barriers to the benefits to which your client is entitled.

This second program in the Veterans Advocacy in Pennsylvania series walks you through the basics to help you most effectively help your clients and meet the requirements to become an accredited VA representative. 

• The VA Claim Process — An Overview
• Basic Principles of Veterans Benefits
• Appeals to the Board of Veterans Appeals
• Appeals to the CAVC
• Attorney Fees

Please visit our website for information about Parts One and Three in this series:

• Introduction to Trauma Informed Advocacy & the PA Veterans Treatment Court, April 4, 2022, 1:00 PM - 4:15 PM
• Legal Issues Affecting Military Personnel, December 7, 2022, 1:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Become an Accredited VA Representative.
If you are interested in providing advice and/or representation to veterans in VA benefits matters, you MUST be accredited through the US Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel. In order to become accredited, you must fill out VA Form 21A (found here ). Once you fill out the form and submit it to the Office of General Counsel (more information can be found here ), you will receive notice of your accreditation. Within the first twelve months of your accreditation, you are required to take a three-hour CLE on veterans law. This program will count toward that CLE requirement. You must have already obtained your attorney ID number prior to taking the initial required CLE course. If you have any questions, please contact us . 

Co-sponsored with the PBA Military & Veterans' Affairs Committee.

We extend our gratitude to the Series' planning team:

• Lisa Grayson, Esq., Co-Chair, PBA Military & Veterans Affairs Committee
• Stephan K. Todd, Esq., Co-Chair, PBA Military & Veterans Affairs Committee
• Brendan Auman, Homeless Program Manager, Government Action Committee on Veterans, PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development
• Samantha Cossman, Regional Program Outreach Coordinator, PA Dept of Military and Veterans Affairs, PA VETConnect 
• Richard Prebil, Esq., Staff Attorney, Legal Aid, Veterans Advocacy Project
• Thomas J. Reed, Professor Emeritus, Veterans Law Clinic, Widener University Delaware Law School
• Craig Swineford, Veterans Services Specialist, Pa Dept Of Military and Veterans Affairs, Region 3
• David Trevaskis, PBA Pro-Bono Coordinator
• Michele Vollmer, Professor, Penn State Law

PBA members save: Contact PBI's customer experience team to receive a 25% discount for PBA members.

All attendees will receive the course book as a digital download. A printed copy of the course book is available, at a discount to attendees, for $40. Additional copies are available at full price. If you wish to purchase the printed version of the course book, please call PBI Customer Service at 800-932-4637. Please allow up to two weeks after the program for the printed versions of the course book to be shipped.