Rochelle Richardson will teach “Introduction to Veterans Law” at Solo Practice University®.

Ms. Richardson is a Washington, DC attorney and veterans advocate.  Her law office, Rochelle E. Richardson, Attorney at Law, PLLC, offers general legal services to families, individuals, and businesses in the District of Columbia and provides representation to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, nationwide, in their claims for benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Prior to starting her current solo practice, Ms. Richardson served as Associate Counsel to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  During that time, she served as the Board’s attorney in over 400 matters concerning veterans’ benefits.  She is proud to bring this extensive experience to veterans as they pursue their claims for veterans’ benefits.

Ms. Richardson is a member of the DC Bar and its Administrative and Agency Practice Section.  She is an accredited attorney of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is admitted to practice at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.  She is a member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates (NOVA), serves as a Volunteer Attorney with the Veterans Pro Bono Consortium, works with Public Counsel Law Center’s Center for Veterans Advancement, and has served as a member of the Exploratory Board of the Veterans Foundation/ Veterans Law Project.

Ms. Richardson received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and her Juris Doctor degree from the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia.

Syllabus – Introduction to Veterans Law

Establishing Service Connection for VA Disability Compensation

• The Claim for Service Connection: What is it?
• The Requirement of Veteran Status: Who may file a claim?
• The Requirement of a Current Disability: What is/is not a “disability” for the purposes of VA compensation?
• Theoretical Bases of Entitlement
• Evidentiary Considerations
• Standards of Proof/Review

The VA Claims Process: The Path of the Veteran’s Claim

• Filing the Claim: What Constitutes a Claim?
• VA’s Duties to Notify and Assist
• The Regional Office (RO) Decision: The Grant or Denial of the Claim
• The Veteran’s Notice of Disagreement
• The Statement of the Case: The RO’s Response to the NOD
• Perfecting the Appeal to the Board: Filing a VA Form 9
• Appealing the Board’s Decision: The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

The Disability Rating

• VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities
• The Claim for a Higher Initial Rating
• The Claim for an Increase in an Existing Rating

Examples