Vet law clinic in NC was first

To the editor:

I am writing to bring to your attention a mistake in your article, "State legal community and VA get together for Vets" on the Legal Support Center at John Marshall School of Law.

The article claims the Center "will be the only law school clinic in the nation dedicated solely to support veterans in the administrative claims process." This is false.

The NCCU Clinic was conceived in 2005, started in 2006 and officially began taking cases in January 2007.

The NCCU Clinic is staffed by students and local attorneys who serve pro bono and is led by Craig Kabatchnick, a former special assistant and senior appellate attorney at the Department of Veteran's Affairs and is of counsel at Everett and Everett, P.A.

The Clinic does claims adjudication for veterans seeking benefits and their spouses and dependents. The Clinic is also lead counsel for the groundwater contamination claims at Camp Lejeune.

This fall Professor Kabatchnick, along with the Clinic, is presenting a continuing legal education course along with the North Carolina Academy for Trial Lawyers on Veteran's Law which will feature family law experts, environmental law expert Gerry LeBlanc, Judge Frank Whitney of the Western District of North Carolina and staff attorney at Fort Bragg, N.C. and other esteemed members of the bar practicing in Veterans' Law.

NCCU School of Law's Veterans' Law Clinic welcomes the addition of a second clinic to the country to pursue the rights of our nation's veterans and wishes them well with their endeavors.

It appears to me that your article is lifted largely from the press release issued by Illinois VA Director Tammy Duckworth.

Sarah Jessica Farber
North Carolina Central School of Law
Member, Veterans' Law Clinic