The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issue dozens of precedential decisions each year that affect hundreds of thousands of veterans, their dependents, and their survivors who have claims before VA regional offices and the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court also issues decisions that impact VA benefits. Without an understanding of recent caselaw, you will be less effective in developing strategies and arguments to help win VA claims. These court decisions could provide new avenues for you to help claimants establish entitlement to VA benefits, but might also invalidate arguments you’ve made for claims that are awaiting a decision by the VA.

This webinar will highlight the most important changes in veterans law stemming from court decisions issued from April 2024 through June 2024, with a focus on how advocates can use these developments to the advantage of the claimants they represent. By the end of this webinar, you should understand:

• Whether an increased rating claim is a supplemental claim
• Whether the BVA may issue a decision before the deadline for changing BVA dockets
• Whether the same Veterans Law Judge that conducts a BVA hearing must author the BVA decision, when the claim is subject to the modernized appeals system
• The process VA must use to determine if a person with a voided enlistment qualifies for VA benefits
• Whether an eligible accrued benefits recipient can be substituted in a claim for any VA benefit, including non-periodic, non-accrued benefits
• How a recent Supreme Court decision impacts court review of VA regulations and prior court decisions that were based on a decision the Supreme Court overturned
• Court holdings on many other important issues