CAVC Historical Society

Creation and Development of the National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition

October 16, 2024, 3:00 pm

U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Library and via Zoom

Co-sponsored by the CAVC Historical Society and CAVC Bar Association

On October 16, 2024, the CAVC Historical Society hosted its annual meeting and, immediately thereafter, a panel discussion exploring the creation and development of the National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition (NVLMCC).  This competition, first organized in 2009, is the nation’s premier moot court focusing on veterans law.  Co-sponsored by the CAVC, the CAVC Bar Association, and the George Washington University School of Law, the NVLMCC brings together teams of students from around the country to argue cutting-edge veterans law issues before distinguished practitioners and judges. The NVLMCC creates one of the most true-to-practice experiences in the country, with the final round typically presided over by a panel of judges from the CAVC in their courtroom. 

Have you ever wondered how they develop their problem?  How coaches prepare their teams?  Interested in learning how to volunteer?  This panel will answer those questions, as well as discuss the early days of the competition’s creation.  

Panelists:

Yelena Duterte, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law

Jon Gaffney, Congressional Research Service

David M. Johnson, George Washington University School of Law

Alice Kerns, U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

Moderator:

James Ridgway, Bergmann and Moore, LLC

On June 30, 2023, the CAVC Historical Society and CAVC Bar Association hosted a panel discussion regarding the evolution of appellate representation before the CAVC. 

With the creation of the Court in 1988, veterans and their families had the right of judicial review of their VA appeals for the first time. There was, however, a lack of sufficient qualified counsel to represent these constituents, creating unique problems for the Court and VA. The panel discussed the various ways the Court, and the broader veterans law community, have tried to ensure that interested pro se litigants have representation before the Court. Topics for discussion included the effect of unrepresented litigants on practice before the Court, the rise of the Veterans Consortium, and the evolution of the appellants’ bar.

Panelists
Judge Mary Schoelen, U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Linda Blauhut, Paralyzed Veterans of America
Mary Flynn, Office of General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs
Ronald Smith, Esq.
Andrew Reynolds, Central Legal Staff, U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

Moderator
David Ames, Bergmann and Moore, LLC

On October 21, 2021, the CAVC Historical Society and CAVC Bar Association hosted a panel discussion featuring three Chief Judges from the second generation of the Court, Senior Judges William P. Greene, Jr., Lawrence B. Hagel, and Robert N. Davis. 

Moderated by current Judge Michael P. Allen, the panel discussed challenges and triumphs as the Court grew, the continued evolution of the institution, and their thoughts about the Court’s history.

On February 25, 2021, the CAVC Historical Society and CAVC Bar Association hosted a panel discussion featuring the first three Clerks of the Court, Melanie Dorsey, Robert Comeau, and Norman Herring. Moderated by the fourth and current Clerk, Gregory Block, the panel discussed challenges faced in the early days of the Court, the evolution of the position from the days of paper to electronic filing, and share their thoughts about the Court’s history.