Law students' idea grows into godsend for vets
Legal service helps them get hard-earned benefits from VA
About three and a half years ago, a trio of students at John Marshall Law School got it into their heads that what they really ought to do was start a legal clinic specializing in helping veterans get their benefits from the VA.
It was the kind of idealistic notion that normally might have drawn a verbal pat on the head from the powers-that-be along with an explanation of the financial and political realities -- and maybe even a gentle reminder that students don't set the curriculum at law schools.
But Nicholas Henry, Michael Barnicle and Ryan Coward were not the type of students to let normal obstacles stand in their way, and as it happened, rather than getting sidetracked in some bureaucratic thicket, their idea caught a wave of official encouragement, even enthusiasm.
And that's why Tuesday I found myself threading my way through a group of eager law students manning the cramped quarters of the Veterans Legal Support Center and Clinic at the John Marshall Law School, now fast approaching its second anniversary.
Henry, Barnicle and Coward all have graduated and moved on to budding careers as military lawyers, but their brainchild remains as a testament to the ability of any person to change the world for the better with the right idea and relentless determination -- not to mention a little help from folks in high places.
You see, the students' interest in starting a clinic happened to coincide with Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Fitzgerald having made it a top priority of his own to provide legal assistance to veterans. When the two converged, the result was a perfect storm of resources that became available, including a roster of lawyers volunteering to help vets on a pro bono basis through the clinic.
The clinic now fields dozens of calls daily from veterans and current service members seeking help with all sorts of problems. While everyone who calls comes away with at least a referral, the emphasis is on culling the caseload for legal matters where the services of the volunteer attorneys can be brought to bear.
On this particular morning, there's a call from the son of a serviceman killed in Iraq. The son has just turned 18 and is looking for educational benefits for college to which he believes he is entitled. The problem is that his father's name isn't on his birth certificate, and now there's a question of how to prove parentage.
More common are inquiries from Vietnam veterans seeking help in connection with compensation for a service-related disability. Plenty of World War II veterans still seek a fair shake from the Veterans Administration as well.
In a recent case list sent to query interest from pro bono lawyers, the claimants included a Vietnam vet from South Holland with Agent Orange exposure seeking benefits related to his prostate cancer, a World War II vet from Lake Bluff trying to establish a service connection to his Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and a Korean War-era vet from Naperville who contends his asbestosis was caused by his job in the Army motor pool.
Originally started with the idea of concentrating solely on helping vets navigate the daunting bureaucracy of the VA, the clinic is expanding its mission to help active-duty service members and recently returned veterans with other legal needs, such as divorce and child custody, said Joseph Butler, the clinic's director.
The idea behind the change is to keep legal problems at home -- whether it's a credit card bill or a spouse threatening to leave -- from distracting a soldier in a war zone from the job at hand.
"Little problems at home become big problems in a combat zone," said clinic staff attorney Brian Morris, an Army reservist who deployed every year from 2002 to 2005.
In the clinic, John Marshall students like Jessica Thornhill, 29, a graduate of the Naval Academy, screen calls or research cases to identify the legal and factual issues, then prepare detailed reports.
Henry, one of the three originators, said his own motivation started with problems he faced in obtaining educational benefits due him after returning from two deployments with the Marines in Iraq. It made him appreciate what other vets were facing in dealing with the VA.
"We just saw that a lot of it is a legal standard being applied to claimants that have no legal background," said Henry of River Forest, who soon will head to a judge advocate posting in Okinawa.
The founding students are amazed at how the clinic keeps evolving.
"It has far surpassed any dreams the three of us could have had," Henry said.
On this Veterans Day, many will pay lip service to the idea of standing up for veterans, but at the John Marshall veterans clinic, they can take satisfaction knowing that they're really doing something.