The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) seeks rising third-year law students and recent law graduates to apply for sponsorship for an externally funded fellowship such as Skadden, Equal Justice Works (EJW), or other public interest fellowships, to begin in the fall of 2024. NVLSP is looking to host a Fellow and develop a fellowship project to engage in new and ongoing advocacy and litigation centered on assisting seriously disabled veterans and their caregivers to navigate the complex process of obtaining benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC).
PCAFC provides caregiver assistance, including access to health coverage, respite care to avoid caregiver burnout, caregiver training, stipends to offset the financial impact of caregiving, and other forms of support. About 8,000 caregivers of veterans apply to the program each month, but about 3 out of 4 are denied.
Moreover, for most of PCAFC’s history, it has been plagued with uneven administration and caregivers being accepted to the program then dropped without notice or due process. These problems have not been evenly distributed, with certain medical centers excluding more caregivers than others. Multiple congressional hearings and VA temporary suspensions of discharges have not resolved the problems.
On top of these systemic problems, certain populations are more likely to receive negatively biased medical and caregiver assessments or to be discharged from the Caregiver program altogether. This includes veterans of color and Veteran-Caregiver dyads who are not a male Veteran married to a female caregiver. Historically, Black veterans have been discharged from PCAFC at greater rates nationally than White veterans. Male caregivers and younger veterans are also discharged at slightly greater rates compared with female caregivers and older veterans, as are veterans with a higher number of mental health comorbidities compared to those with physical comorbidities.
We are seeking a Fellow to work on development of direct and strategic representation of PCAFC applicants; training advocates to assist veterans and their family caregivers in both the VA process and any available appeals; and policy research and advocacy. The Fellow will also collaborate with law firms and other veterans service organizations and civil rights non-profit organizations partnering with NVLSP.
Who are We?
NLVSP is a high-impact national veterans service organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to ensure that the government delivers to our nation’s 18 million veterans and active duty personnel the benefits to which they are entitled due to the disabilities that resulted from their military service. NVLSP engages in individual representation, class actions, and advocacy through amicus briefs and legislative and regulatory advocacy. NVLSP also operates a pro bono program that provides free legal representation, through a nationwide network of private law firms and corporate legal departments, to disabled active duty personnel, veterans, and their families.
Previous NVLSP EJW fellows have focused on assisting survivors of military sexual trauma, filing mandamus petitions in cases unduly delayed at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and developing a national medical legal partnership to assist veterans seeking VA benefits, medical retirement or discharge upgrades. Experienced NVLSP attorneys will work closely with the fellow, providing guidance and support.
• J.D. or expected to receive a J.D. by the spring of 2024
• Willingness to work closely with NVLSP through the funding application process
• Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding
• Ability to work independently as well as within a team
• Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, manage a variety of tasks and see projects through to completion
• Prior experience with veterans law and/or disability rights advocacy (via work or personal experience) preferred but not required
• Sponsorship is limited to people who will qualify for post-graduation fellowship funding, from their law schools or some other fellowship funding organization, for a fellowship beginning in the Fall of 2024.
To apply, send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and list of 3 references to
Renee Burbank, Director of Litigation
e-mail: [email protected]
The cover letter should generally address the applicant’s interest in social justice and disability rights work, and the knowledge, skills, and any relevant professional and lived experience they would bring to this position.
The proposal must be submitted by mid-September 2023. We will review applications on a rolling basis and encourage immediate submission of applications to NVLSP. Priority will be given to applications submitted by July 28, 2023.