In the spring of 2023, Cornell Law School was one of three law schools nationwide to receive a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide legal services for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This fall, the Veterans Law Practicum learned that the grant is being renewed — and doubled.

Hardwick (left) and client Ana Chan, who the practicum assisted after her service dog was forcibly removed from her care.

The renewal and additional funding come after a highly successful inaugural year that saw the practicum open sixty-seven cases for fifty-eight veterans in Upstate New York and nationwide.

“The importance of this renewed funding cannot be overstated,” says James Hardwick, adjunct professor of law and supervising attorney for the Veterans Law Practicum. “It has allowed us to fill a critical gap in access to justice and legal services for our veteran population in New York State and provides our students with the opportunity to work with and advocate for at-risk individuals through a trauma-informed lens.”

With the additional funding, the practicum is hiring support staff and a graduate fellow who will act as a second attorney to oversee students addressing the unmet civil and legal needs of unhoused veterans, encompassing issues like housing, divorce and custody matters, and services for aging veterans.

Jacques Anthony Bettig ’25, at left in the Cornell sweatshirt, and the rest of last year’s inaugural Veterans Law Practicum.

“At the practicum, we spend a lot of time helping veterans cut through the bureaucracy of a system that can be unreceptive to appeals for assistance, such as helping them fight for VA benefits they have been unjustly denied,” says Jacques Anthony Bettig ’25, who joined the practicum after seeing his grandfather battle the VA over a denied claim. “My grandfather finally prevailed with help from someone who understood the system, and I wanted to help others in the same way.”

While the grant renewal is critical for the practicum to continue its work, there is still a need for additional and ongoing funding. The VA grant must be renewed every year and restricts the use of its funds to address the issue of homelessness, leaving many veterans ineligible for legal assistance. The practicum will soon launch a crowdfunding campaign to support work on other important Veterans’ issues, including service-connected disability compensation claims and discharge upgrades. Expanding the practicum scope will also enhance law students’ educational experience, providing them with the resources and opportunities to develop into skilled, compassionate advocates for veterans.

Bettig says, “We make it clear to veterans that we will be there for them when they face legal issues in their everyday lives. Since joining the practicum, I’ve had the opportunity to represent veterans in a variety of situations, ranging from a dog custody battle to a wrongful job termination and in several domestic matters.”