Looking out for Georgia’s Veterans

The Veterans Legal Clinic helps Georgia veterans access the benefits they are entitled to from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, says Alex Scherr, the clinic’s director and long-time UGA School of Law faculty member.

“Many of these veterans have felt unheard and misunderstood. Many come to us defeated and confused, and our hope is that by the end there is a weight lifted—someone understands and listens to them.”
-Alex Douglas, Veterans Legal Clinic paralegal

“We prove to the VA that they have injuries from their military service that impact their life,” Scherr says. “We have produced life-changing money for clients who are facing significant hardships.”

Since the clinic opened in 2018, teams of School of Law faculty, students, and staff have helped veterans from across Georgia earn more than $16 million in retroactive awards, debts waived, and future payments. The clinic’s reach is statewide, serving clients from more than 100 of Georgia’s 159 counties. To support the veterans’ claims, the clinic offers independent mental health assessments from UGA’s Psychology Clinic and medical evaluations from resources like the UGA Speech and Hearing Clinic.

The clinic’s work is transformative for veterans who face significant physical and mental difficulties and, in many cases, have been seeking benefits for years.

The Tangible and Intangible

One client, who the clinic did not identify to protect his privacy, applied for benefits beginning in 2014. He was denied by the VA and was on the brink of bankruptcy, according to Scherr, until he brought his case to the Veterans Legal Clinic in 2019. The clinic helped him get an independent mental health evaluation and appealed his case with the new evidence.

Thanks to the Veterans Legal Clinic’s help, the VA granted the client’s claim, granting him a monthly income and awarding him a $360,000 retroactive award.

The financial benefits are very real to the clients, says Alex Douglas, the clinic’s paralegal, but their work also provides personal support that bolsters veterans. “The work is tangible: We are helping veterans receive monthly compensation for disabilities that they would not have received without the clinic’s help,” Douglas says. “But it’s also intangible because many of these veterans have felt unheard and misunderstood. Many come to us defeated and confused, and our hope is that by the end there is a weight lifted—someone understands and listens to them.”

The Next Generation

Beyond the mission to help Georgia veterans, the legal clinic also provides valuable experience to UGA Law students, who play a key role in serving clients. Teams of two students are assigned to work with each client.

“We are doing good work for people in an area that is underserved, and students are getting a chance to work on real cases that have a real-world impact.”
-Ethan Smith, Staff Attorney

Staff attorney Ethan Smith has seen how dozens of law students develop legal skills and become passionate about helping veterans. “This clinic highlights the best of both worlds for students,” Smith says. “We are doing good work for people in an area that is underserved, and students are getting a chance to work on real cases that have a real-world impact.”

Each semester, approximately a dozen students participate in the clinic; five work during the summer. Combined, the students put in 6,000 hours annually.

“We are helping to create lawyers who are both imaginative and empathetic in understanding clients’ situations while also being rigorous and evenhanded in their legal work,” Scherr says. “It’s a good outcome that prepares skilled and capable lawyers who are willing to do work that helps other people.”