Congratulations to Samantha Greer, who received the Distinguished Advocate Award at NOVA’s 2026 Spring Conference! The Distinguished Advocate Award is designed to recognize talent deserving wider recognition and/or contribute in some other quiet way to the betterment of NOVA and/or the veterans law profession.
Samantha’s practice has focused exclusively on veterans' issues since she graduated from law school. She currently teaches at the Robert W. Entenmann Veterans Law Clinic at Hofstra University School of Law. While she has represented clients from all backgrounds, her particular focus has been in service of veteran clients who have experienced military sexual trauma or discrimination based on sexual orientation or race, and those who have current mental health diagnoses.
While serving as Coordinating Attorney of the Veterans Initiative in the Legal Health division of the New York Legal Assistance Group, Samantha established the first legal clinic in the country to exclusively serve women veterans, enabling them to receive trauma-informed legal assistance on a variety of civil legal matters, and most significantly, in cases involving military sexual trauma. Through her advocacy, she has obtained more than $3 million in annualized benefits for veterans and their surviving spouses.
Samantha embodies NOVA's mission to "develop and encourage high standards of service and representation for all persons seeking benefits." Not only does she live these values in her own practice, she encourages this same standard of service to veterans through her clinical law instruction.
One NOVA members said: “She is a zealous and compassionate advocate. She approaches her clients' cases with diligence, tenacity and, perhaps most importantly, care. She recognizes that this is a field of service for those who have served, and this principle is her driving force behind each and every client interaction. Simply put, she has dedicated her career to helping veterans and advocating on their behalf; there is no one more deserving of this award.”
Congratulations Samantha!!