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Week in Review

March 6, 2025

Dear NOVA Members,

Here are the week's updates and articles on veterans affairs, news, legislation, and events. We have collected these articles from news across the country to ensure that you have the latest, most up-to-date information so that you may better serve your clients.

Supreme Court Sides Against Vets Wanting Stronger Benefit Of The Doubt Review In Disability Claims

USA Today - The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the argument by two veterans who said the government must err on the side of granting them disability benefits if it's unclear the evidence supports their claim.

Full Article

Trump Administration Plans To Cut 80,000 Employees From Veterans Affairs, According To Internal Memo

AP - The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that provides health care and other services for millions of veterans, according to an internal memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

Full Article

VA Set To Cancel $1.8B In Non-Mission Critical Or Duplicative Contracts

Connecting Vets - On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs began canceling 585 non-mission-critical or duplicative contracts. According to a VA release, the move comes after a thorough review of nearly 2,000 professional services contracts.

Full Article

VA Study Of Brain Injuries And Mental Health Would Be Ordered Up By Senate Bill

Military.com - Key senators, including the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, are renewing a push for an in-depth study of how brain injuries affect veterans' mental health.

Full Article

Virginia Lawmaker Asks Department Of Defense To Limit Vet Workforce Cuts In New Letter

Military.com - U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth this week asking for restraint in layoffs affecting veterans and national security. In the letter, the Republican congresswoman asks Hegseth to prioritize keeping veterans in their jobs and ensuring they are not disproportionally laid off by cuts to the federal workforce.

Full Article

Trump Lawyer On Fired Vets: 'Perhaps They're Not Fit To Have A Job'

Military Times - The counselor and top attorney representing President Donald Trump raised questions Tuesday about the the capability and willingness of veterans to work after an unknown number have been fired from jobs as part of sweeping layoffs that continue to reduce the federal government’s footprint.

Full Article

VA Crisis Line Workers Say Mission Will Be Harmed By In-Office Mandate

Military Times - There was a fear festering in Dean’s mind even before she found out last Friday that she and all other VA crisis line responders had been ordered to return to work at their Atlanta satellite office in the coming months.

Full Article

A Navy Vet Was Given 'Weeks To Live' In 2020. Now His Cancer Treatment Is At Risk

Task & Purpose - In the wake of cuts to federal research funding, a Navy veteran diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer will not be able to receive an experimental treatment that he says extended his life after doctors gave him “weeks” to live in 2020.

Full Article

America Needs Military Lawyers Willing To Uphold Its Principles

Military Times (Opinion) - During his nomination hearing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked by Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, if he agrees with the Geneva Conventions, the legal framework that governs the conduct of war, which the United States helped to create after the horrors of World War II.

Full Article

NOVA News & Notes

ICYMI: Recently Discussed In NOVA Groups

Information Exchange Forum - HLR Rejected For Filing On Day Of Decision

Information Exchange Forum - CAVC Substitution

Information Exchange Forum - Can ITF Be Used To Extend The 1-Year Deadline For Filing A Supplemental Claim?

Information Exchange Forum - CRDP And Attorney Fees

Information Exchange Forum - VA Position On ITFs And Does VA Have A Notification Requirement?

Appellate News - Supreme Court Affirms Fed Circuit Decision In Bufkin

Outreach, Regulatory, Legislative - NOVA Testimony For Wed Hearing On Accreditation Bills And Information About The Hearing

Do You Use Fee Withholding? Important Information About VA Vendorization Process

VA is asking you to update your information to provide your POA code no later than April 30, 2025. Please review the letter HERE and reach out to Diane if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks!

Job Posting: VA Disability Case Manager

Disability benefits law firm in San Francisco, CA is seeing a VA disabilities benefits case manager with at least three years of experience for a 100% remote position. Responsibilities include calling and emailing clients updates on their case, organizing projects in Filevine, calendaring deadlines, reviewing medicals records, filing documents with the VA, and coordinating with the attorney on file.

For more information and to apply, please click HERE.

Job Posting: Appellate Attorney For Court Practice

If you are an attorney with a penchant for appellate brief-writing, and would like to have a chance to brief and orally argue cases in federal appellate courts, the law firm of ATTIG | STEEL would like to meet you.

We would like to hire a full-time, appellate attorney to join our firm.

This position involves representing disabled veterans and their survivors in appeals of denied VA disability benefits filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

For more information and to apply, please click HERE.

Register For NOVA's 2025 Spring Conference!

Registration for NOVA's spring conference is open. The conference will be held at the Hilton Minneapolis from April 3-5, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Please note that this event will be hybrid with in-person and virtual attendance options.

To learn more and to register for the conference, please click HERE. If you have questions, please contact Stacie Lemick.

Save The Date For Future NOVA Conferences!

Fall Conference 2025
Washington, DC - September 11-13, 2025
Hotel: Capital Hilton

Spring Conference 2026
San Diego, CA - April 16-18, 2026
Hotel: Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego

Fall Conference 2026
Indianapolis, IN - September 17-19, 2026
Hotel: The Westin Indianapolis

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