The Pro Bono Project and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services are pleased to offer a free, in-person 3-hour CLE designed to help attorneys become Veterans Affairs (VA) accredited. 

Jennifer Webre, Staff Attorney, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, will lead a practical skills-focused training that will teach attendees how to represent Veterans who are seeking a discharge upgrade. Generally, in order to receive VA benefits and services, the Veteran’s character of discharge or service must be under other than dishonorable conditions (e.g., honorable, under honorable conditions, general). However, individuals receiving undesirable, bad conduct, and other types of dishonorable discharges may qualify for VA benefits depending on a determination made by VA. A discharge upgrade changes the “character of service” shown on the Veteran’s DD-214 discharge certificate, and can render the Veteran eligible for critical benefits and services that were previously denied.

 The VA accreditation program exists to ensure that Veterans and their family members receive appropriate representation on their VA benefits claims. VA accreditation is for the sole and limited purpose of preparing, presenting, and prosecuting claims before VA. In addition to the free training and resource materials, attendees will receive the paperwork to submit after the course to become VA accredited; they will also be expected to submit a certificate of good standing to the VA as part of their application. 

 These cases are not time-sensitive or urgent in nature, but they can be very significant in the life of the Veteran. A Veteran is substantially more likely to be successful in an application for discharge upgrade if they have the assistance of an attorney. 

Please contact Kathryn Lafrentz, Director of Legal Services, for more information about this new program or if you require reasonable accommodations to attend.