Honoring US Veterans

For more than a decade, we have partnered with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), with over 2,000 Latham lawyers taking on nearly 380 matters across 25 Latham offices. This work includes representing those with service-related injuries, investigating deficiencies in the benefits system established to support US veterans, assisting veterans with obtaining medical retirements, and counseling veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in applying for combat-related special compensation.

We have also filed numerous cases alongside NVLSP in US District Court under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), a law that establishes standards for how federal administrative agencies create and implement rules and regulations. The goal of these lawsuits is to obtain judicial review of the Physical Disability Board of Review’s (PDBR’s) rating recommendation for a veteran’s disabilities and/or the military’s acceptance of the PDBR’s recommendation. Individuals often need representation in front of the PDBR to ensure that their service-related disabilities are properly evaluated and rated, which, in turn, helps guarantee life-changing medical care, compensation, and other benefits.

In 2025, a Washington, D.C.-based team successfully represented an Army veteran in front of the PDBR. Our client sustained a severe spinal injury during an airborne training deployment in Italy. We argued on his behalf that the original 20% disability rating assigned to him did not accurately reflect the extent of his injuries. After reviewing more than 2,200 pages of records, the team demonstrated that our client should have been medically retired with a much higher disability rating at the time of his 2005 discharge. The PDBR agreed, raising his rating and enabling him to receive two decades’ worth of backpay. He will also receive enhanced medical care and increased monthly financial assistance moving forward. Cases like these can have a broad impact beyond the specific client, as the decisions help form good law around medical benefits and retirement.

"Latham lawyers proudly stand with veterans and active-duty service members. From service-related injuries to medical retirements and discharge upgrades, our pro bono efforts aim to ensure veterans receive the full benefits and dignity they have earned"

Jake Ryan, partner in Latham’s San Diego office and a global leader of the firm’s US Military & Veterans Network

Latham also regularly represents veterans seeking to upgrade their discharge status. A service member who has been discharged from the military may be entitled to meaningful healthcare and compensation benefits from the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), depending on the circumstances surrounding their discharge. A characterization at discharge of less than honorable — known as a “bad paper” discharge — can significantly impact a veteran’s eligibility for benefits and their quality of life in retirement. For more than eight years, a team of Latham lawyers represented Swords to Plowshares in a petition for rulemaking as well as two lawsuits against the VA regarding its Character of Discharge (COD) regulations, which determine whether a veteran with a bad paper discharge is eligible for VA benefits. This tireless advocacy ultimately led to the enactment of improved COD regulations that make it easier for veterans to access the vital benefits and care they had previously been denied. Our work extends to many other organizations across the US in support of veterans, including The Veterans Consortium, Houston Volunteer Lawyers’ Veterans Legal Initiative, the Veterans Advocacy Project, Veterans Legal Services, and Public Counsel’s Veterans’ Rights Initiative. We regularly host clinics with these nonprofits, providing veterans with immediate, actionable legal advice, and we have assisted with drafting research on veterans-specific legal issues, such as access to healthcare and public benefits.

“Latham lawyers proudly stand with veterans and active-duty service members,” said Jake Ryan, partner in Latham’s San Diego office and a global leader of the firm’s US Military & Veterans Network. “From service-related injuries to medical retirements and discharge upgrades, our pro bono efforts aim to ensure veterans receive the full benefits and dignity they have earned.”