<img src="/site/files/oldnewsfiles/VetLawClinic2014Promo235px.jpg" width="235" height="200" class="FloatRight" alt="VetLawClinic2014Promo235px">The Widener University School of Law <a href="/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Clinics/VeteransLawClinic.aspx">Veterans Law Clinic</a> had a record year recovering medical disability benefits for veterans in 2014.<br><br>The clinic, which serves in a pro bono capacity, recovered $1,765,638 in calendar year 2014. It was the highest dollar amount recovered for veteran clients in a single calendar year since the clinic began operations in 1997.  <br><br>The Veterans Law Clinic, based at Widener Law Delaware, provides free legal aid to disabled veterans and their dependents with claims pending before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The clinic specializes in representing veterans’ cases on appeal from VA regional offices located throughout the United States to the Board of Veterans Appeals and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The clinic also assists veterans with other matters related to veterans law, including VA pension cases, VA overpayment cases and discharge upgrades, as well as legal issues that are impediments to financial security, such as expungement of certain criminal charges, collection of medical bills and obtaining Social Security.<br><br>The clinic does not charge veterans for its services, nor does it keep any portion of financial awards it wins for its clients. It also covers the costs of independent medical exams when they are needed for clients’ cases. <br><br>The $1.76 million in recovered benefits for 2014 represented combined awards on behalf of 35 veteran clients.  It brings the total benefits recovered by the clinic to more than $7 million, with $3.7 million – or 53 percent – of that recovered in the last three years.<br><br>The milestone comes in the same year the American Bar Association House of Delegates passed a resolution at its annual meeting, encouraging law schools to create veterans law clinics. Widener Law was highlighted in the resolution as one of several models for other schools to follow.<br><br>“The clinic has had an outstanding year,” Director Susan Saidel said. “It has been really rewarding to recover these benefits for our veteran clients, because they improve their lives and the lives of their family members. These awards can be the difference between hunger and homelessness and a warm, safe home with a stocked refrigerator. The work is also an eye-opening educational experience for our law students, as it demonstrates the impact of public interest work and hopefully ignites a passion for pro bono that stays with them during their legal careers.”<br><br>Currently more than half of all clinic clients are Delaware residents. Others hail from Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Maryland.  <br><br>Cases are handled by approximately ten students each semester, who receive no monetary compensation, and approximately 80 attorneys from the community who serve in a pro bono capacity. Students spend up to 20 hours per week in the clinic, including office hours where they assist with completing intakes for new clients and other administrative tasks.