Discharge Upgrade
Connecticut Veterans Legal Center
Connecticut Veterans Legal Center provides free legal assistance to low-income veterans living in Connecticut, helping veterans overcome legal barriers to housing, healthcare, and income. In addition to supporting veterans in civil litigation, CVLC specializes in representing veterans pursuing access to VA benefits and Discharge Upgrades. We are proud to work in Medical Legal Partnership with the VA and other veteran-serving clinicians across the state. For more information on accessing our services, veterans can visit: www.ctveteranslegal.org/veterans.
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Resources
DOD is committed to increasing its efforts to reach LGBTQ+ veterans discharged under less than honorable conditions for homosexual conduct prior to the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to ensure they are aware of the process to request a correction to their military record.
Message from DOD:
On Sept. 20, 2023, DOD announced it will proactively review military records of veterans whose military records indicate their administrative separation was the result of their sexual orientation and who received a less than honorable conditions discharge.
The department will first identify veterans discharged during the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" period (1994-2011) and then take steps to retrieve their relevant military records, for example from the National Archives. After a preliminary review and an assessment that an upgrade in discharge may be warranted, DOD will transmit the names to the service secretaries for consideration and potential correction through the Military Department Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records (BCM/NR).
This new initiative will significantly simplify the process for DADT veterans and demonstrates the department's continued focus on Taking Care of Our People.
Bergmann & Moore, LLC
Bergmann & Moore has grown to become one of the largest law firms in the country focusing solely on Veterans’ disability benefit claim appeals. Representation at All Levels: Bergmann & Moore is managed by former VA litigators who know the system well.
The firm offers representation at all levels of VA’s claim appeals process: Regional Offices, Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board), U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Court), and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
ABA Federal Free Legal Answers
ABA Free Legal Answers is a virtual legal advice
portal for users to ask legal questions, and
qualified attorneys can volunteer to provide brief
advice to answer questions. Veterans—along with
eligible dependents and survivors—can ask about
VA benefits, discharge upgrades, and similar
veterans’ federal legal issues.
VetLex
VetLex is a national, dedicated web-based network of coordinated pro bono service providers to serve the legal needs of veterans. VetLex does not provide legal services; but provides intake, assessment, and referral envisioned to quickly and effectively connect veterans in need of legal services with those who stand ready to provide them. The platform provides an online tool for obtaining pro bono counsel for specific legal needs, which could be civil, criminal, or administrative (benefit claims, for example). It also provides educational information on basic legal concepts, as well as a convenient repository for paperwork (like DD 214s) that are required multiple times by various service providers.
The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program
The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program connects qualified veterans with legal assistance to file appeals for benefits claims and with discharge upgrades. Once a veteran has filled out their applications the Consortium will decide if they can take that veteran’s case. Even if they cannot accept a case, the programs will still provide legal advice about how to proceed with the case a veteran has. Volunteer attorneys receive training in veteran’s law and a mentor who is an expert of the subject.
Swords to Plowshares
Swords to Plowshares understands that women veterans often struggle to access resources and care that addresses their identity as women and experiences in the military. Women veterans rely on systems of care that are often not equipped to address women and/or veteran-specific needs. They also provide free legal consultation and representation to veterans seeking assistance with benefits and military discharge upgrade cases.
Maine Can Do
This platform is devoted to improving access to resources for people who have been sexually harassed in the workplace and helping businesses and nonprofits create safe and healthy workplaces. The site includes guidance from lawyers and experts to define sexual harassment and offers resources to help victims, bystanders, and organizational leaders respond to and prevent harassment in our workplaces. If you’ve been harassed, or know someone who has, you can find where to go and what to do next.