NEW ADVISORY BOARD CREATED TO ENHANCE SERVICES
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B R I E F S
From left, Andy Mayts, Josh Magidson, Prineet Sharma, Lawrence “Larry” Miccolis, Veterans Law
Institute Coordinator Shirley Booker, Veterans Law Institute Attorney Mavic Francisco, Christopher
Dougherty, Veterans Law Institute Director Stacey-Rae Simcox, and Kasey Feltner.
Stetson Law formed a new
Veterans Law Institute Board
of Advisors in September 2019,
a group of professionals tasked with
supporting the work of the VLI. The
mission of the Board is threefold: to
drive engagement in and development
of programs for the VLI; to mentor
current veteran students and recent
graduates; and to provide counsel
and recommendations to College
leadership.
Veterans law is a growing area, and VA
claims are one of the most challenging
areas of administrative law to practice,
said Stacey-Rae Simcox, director of the
VLI. Stetson Law students and staff
attorneys at the VLI fill the service gap,
offering their services and guidance at
no cost. The demand for help is rising.
“If we had more resources, we’d help
more veterans and their widows,”
Simcox said. “We have a wait list.”
Members of the Advisory Board are
tasked with growing the Institute’s
presence locally and nationally,
fostering partnerships with other
colleges and organizations, including
MacDill Air Force Base, spreading
awareness among veterans groups, and
helping secure funding so the VLI can
help even more veterans.
Since 2014, Stetson Law’s Veterans
Advocacy Clinic has helped more than
100 clients, garnering over $2 million
in back pay, providing a valuable and
meaningful learning experience for 35
to 40 students a year, offering clients
more than 6,000 hours in pro bono
legal work per year, and much more.
New Advanced Veterans Advocacy Clinic Offered
Veterans Law Institute Board
of Advisors
Christopher Dougherty, J.D. ’85
Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman
& Goggin, PC
Kasey Feltner, J.D. ’17
Shutts & Bowen, LLP
Jeff Harvey, J.D. ’12
Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida,
Inc.
Josh Magidson, J.D. ’80 – Honorary
Macfarlane, Ferguson, & McMullen, PA
Andy Mayts, J.D. ’91
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Lawrence (Larry) Miccolis, J.D. ’09
Lawrence E. Miccolis, P.A.
Prineet Sharma, J.D. ’98
Sharma Eminent Domain Lawyers PLLC
Judge Raphael Steinhardt, J.D. ’63
Honorary
Jim Vickaryous, J.D. ’93, MBA ’98
James G. Vickaryous, PA
Jennifer Suarez Jankes, J.D. ’03
Director, Associate General Counsel,
and Site Lead
Citi Tampa Global Legal Office
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
Stories by Tom Daniel
Stetson Law now offers an Advanced Veterans Advocacy Clinic
to expand on its work representing disabled veterans seeking
benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs. The clinic
will provide the next level of service and create an even deeper
learning experience for law students.
“The Advanced Clinic is an opportunity for students who have
experience working at the agency level of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to represent veterans at the United States Court of
Appeals for Veterans Claims,” said Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox,
director of Veterans Law Institute and Veterans Advocacy Clinic.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, located in
Washington, D.C., is one the most recently established federal
courts. Consequently, new case law is being created every day. This
new law then needs to be implemented at the agency level, which
can be difficult to accomplish. Students in the Advanced Veterans
Advocacy Clinic handle and potentially argue their cases on appeal.