We are excited to host the 2026 fall conference in Indianapolis, Indiana!  Registration will open June 24.  Please read this message in its entirety as we have important reminders and information regarding the conference.

NEW THIS FALL! INTRODUCING OUR NEW PRACTITIONER TRACK! Select Your Tickets Carefully!

The New Practitioners’ Breakout track is intended to build on the accreditation series and bridge the knowledge gap for those new to the practice.  The New Practitioners' Track will be on Thursday morning. After a brief orientation session, this breakout track will explore service connection beyond the basics and explain how to apply for and use foundational VA databases.  Participants will return to the main session for the afternoon and remainder of the conference.

If you are interested in attending these sessions, please make sure to choose the “New Practitioner Track” option when buying tickets. If you would like to attend the main sessions, please also choose your tickets accordingly. Virtual attendees will be able to choose when visiting the platform.

Hotel Room Block: The conference will be held at Westin Indianapolis.  We ask that you only book ONE room per attendee.  If you need to book multiple rooms for your firm, please be sure to assign every room to a unique attendee who is registered to attend the conference.  If you book multiple rooms under one name, we will CANCEL any additional rooms immediately!

The Room Block Rate at the Westin Indianapolis is $229 plus tax, per night, single and double occupancy, and is available three days before and three days after the conference based upon room availability.  All reservations must be made by Wednesday August 26, for the NOVA rate to be honored. Click HERE to make your reservation now!

Time Zone: Please note that Indianapolis is in the Eastern time zone and all times listed on the conference schedule are ET.  If you are attending virtually, please plan accordingly.

Hybrid Option: For the 2026 fall conference, NOVA will offer a hybrid option for our General Session ONLY on Thursday and Friday.  Attendees who are unable to travel to attend the conference in person can register to attend via our virtual platform.  In consideration of the various time zones of our virtual attendees, all virtual attendees will receive access to the conference recordings (except for our guest speaker sessions) with their virtual ticket via our virtual platform.  Please note, due to the format of the Workshop Session, which will be held on Saturday, we are UNABLE to offer a hybrid option for that day of sessions.

Whether you choose to attend the general sessions in person or virtually, you will receive all general session materials, will be able to watch the sessions live, and will have the opportunity to participate in the Q&A portion of the session via the Conferences I/O app.  Please carefully consider both the event time zone and the time zone in which you are located when considering purchasing a virtual attendance ticket.  All sessions will be streamed with start times local to Indianapolis, Indiana, or eastern time.  While videos will be made available, it is not until a few weeks following the conference. Please be sure to select the correct option when you register and please note the registration transfer policy listed below.

Conference Videos:  In-person attendees will have the opportunity to purchase conference videos at the time of registration for the discounted rate of $50.  NOVA does not record guest speakers, so videos of those sessions will NOT be included.  Please be sure to purchase the in-person registration ticket plus videos option when registering.  Please note that the videos will be sent to the email with which you registered for the event, a few weeks following the conference.

Onsite reminders:  NOVA negotiates free wi-fi for attendees at our conferences as a courtesy.  The wi-fi that is provided free-of-charge only includes bandwidth for basic internet browsing and the ability to check email.  It is NOT enough bandwidth for downloading conference materials onsite, or streaming videos during the conference.  We ask that attendees be mindful of the limitations of the free wi-fi onsite and be sure to download your conference materials before arriving.

NOVA also works with the hotel and AV teams to supply power strips to attendees.  The power strips are scattered throughout the meeting space for attendees use.  We ask that you arrive to the meeting room with fully charged devices.  Please DO NOT move the power strip closer to your seat as they are placed so that multiple seats will have access to the strip.  Finally, we will not provide power strips for the New Practitioner breakout on Thursday or the Workshop Sessions on Saturday - please plan accordingly.

Please note our registration cancellation and transfer policies:

Cancellation and Registration Transfer Policies:

Registration Cancellation Policy:

Before February 11, 2026 - 75% of fee paid will be returned

Beginning February 11 through March 20, 2026 - 50% of fee paid will be returned

On or After March 21, 2026 - No refund (seminar materials will be provided)

Registration Transfer Policy:

If you would like to transfer your registration from in-person to virtual or virtual to in-person, you will be assessed $149 for administering this change.

As always, we appreciate your membership and support and look forward to welcoming you to the conference!

In accordance with NOVA’s bylaws, the terms of one-third of the members of its Board of Directors expire at the end of each year. This year’s election of Board members will be conducted at the annual Membership Meeting to be held in person on September 17, 2026, at 1:15 p.m. ET for a term of three (3) years from 2027-2029.

To serve on the Board, an individual must have been a Sustaining Member in good standing for the five (5) years preceding his or her nomination, with active participation in NOVA, and must be either admitted or accredited to practice before either the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or both. Other membership categories are not eligible to serve.  

To ensure that all Board members can exercise independent judgment in all matters coming before the Board, no more than one person employed by or affiliated with the same entity, for employment or business purposes, may serve on the Board at the same time. Should the situation arise where more than one member or member elect to the Board have such employment or business relationship, the entirety of the Board members unaffiliated with that entity shall determine a resolution by a majority vote. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit a Board member or member-elect from engaging in business referral arrangements, acting as co-counsel, or similar arrangements, or otherwise being a member of, or participating in, professional or social organizations.

Board members serve a three (3) year term beginning on January 1st of the year following election. 

Board membership requires commitment both of time and resources as you represent other NOVA members. Board members are expected to be active participants in NOVA. They are required to attend Board meetings, seminars, and conference calls. The Board meets in-person at the Spring and Fall seminars and for a two-day planning meeting (at the call of the President), periodically by phone, and on an ad hoc basis. Members cover their own expenses, including travel, lodging, and meals for all seminars and meetings.

Beginning on July 1, 2026, anyone interested in serving and meeting the minimum requirements, must inform the President of his or her desire to be a candidate for election no later than July 30, 2026. Thereafter, the President will solicit additional information from each candidate. The Board shall select by majority vote candidates to appear on the ballot equal to the number of positions on the Board to be filled at the upcoming election. The Board will then announce its selections to NOVA’s membership.  Thereafter, any additional nominations must be endorsed with the names of at least ten (10) Sustaining Members and submitted to the President. The required time frames are specified below. Each such nominee will appear as a candidate on the ballot.

Each candidate may provide a written statement supporting his or her candidacy. Such a statement must be submitted to the President. The President will distribute the written statements to the Sustaining Members prior to balloting. A candidate wishing to speak to the membership at the annual meeting prior to balloting shall be allowed up to five (5) minutes to do so. 

Any Sustaining Member in good standing who will not be attending the Membership Meeting may request an absentee ballot from the Executive Director. An absentee ballot may only be cast by members who will not be in attendance. The completed absentee ballot must be submitted to the President and received no later than five (5) days prior to the Membership Meeting.

The nomination and election process will follow this schedule:

Nominations, candidate’s statements, or questions, may be directed to the President, Christine Clemens, at cclemens@cck-law.com. 

Requests for absentee ballots may be directed to the Executive Director, Diane Boyd Rauber, at drauber@vetadvocates.org. Completed absentee ballots must be received no later than September 12, 2026. They should be sent by email to Christine Clemens, at cclemens@cck-law.com. 

NOVA member Dax Lonetto will discuss how to prepare and win entitlement to TDIU with tactics used in Social Security Disability (SSD) claims.  He will provide practice tips based on Ray v. Wilkie, address exertional and nonexertional limitations based on SSD definitions, and discuss the role of lay evidence. 

*********

Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Dax J. Lonetto, Sr., Esq., has a long history of success. He graduated with honors from Jesuit High School in 1998 and went on to graduate with honors from Florida State University in 2002.  He earned his Juris Doctorate from the College of Law at Florida State University in 2005 and is a member of the Florida Bar.  He is also admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.  He has been fighting for individuals with disabilities ever since focusing the entirety of his practice on VA and Social Security Disability, and is both a NOVA and NOSSCR member. He has operated his own firm – Dax J. Lonetto, Sr., PLLC – since 2014.

Register for the webinar here!

Registration Information:

Member Registration Fee: $99.00
Non-Member Registration Fee: $149.00

*Registration Closes July 28*

WEBINAR CLEs: If you need a certificate of attendance for CLE for attending the webinar, please make note of the CLE code shared throughout the webinar. Once you have your code you can sign in via the CLE Sign-In tab on the event website. A link to sign in will also be emailed at the conclusion of the webinar(s). Please do not email staff asking for the code.

*NOVA is an accredited provider/sponsor for CLE in Pennsylvania and Virginia