June 5, 2023
Brent Filbert Named NIMJ Fellow
University of Missouri School of Law Veterans Clinic Director Brent Filbert has been named a fellow at the National Institute of Military Justice (NIMJ). Professor Filbert was selected as a fellow of the institute based on his abilities and expertise in the fields of military law and veterans law. He will serve a two-year term as fellow, from 2023-2025. “To become a fellow in the National Institute of Military Justice is an amazing honor,” Filbert said. “The NIMJ is made up of our nation’s most accomplished military justice attorneys and scholars and is widely recognized as the leading authority on…
May 25, 2023
Staff Spotlight — Meet Anita Cowan
Anita Cowan is the new executive assistant at the Clinic. Anita Cowan is one of the Clinic’s newest staff faces. Beginning work for the Clinic in April, Anita serves as Clinic’s executive assistant. She has worked in several areas at the University of Missouri for more than 20 years, including the office of the vice chancellor for student affairs, as well as the dean of the Graduate School. One of her dreams in life has been to work closely with veterans, as her husband Todd is an Army veteran; therefore, she has a very personal relationship to the…
May 25, 2023
A Successful Symposium
More than 200 attorneys and veterans advocates attended the 2023 Veterans Clinic Symposium in-person and virtually. The Veterans Clinic held its annual symposium this April to examine and discuss how future veterans law advocates can handle instances of discrimination in the military. Interim Dean Paul Litton kicked off the symposium with opening remarks. The rest of the event consisted of various lectures and presentations from law professors, military personnel and practicing attorneys. More than 200 attorneys and advocates joined in person and virtually to learn more about topics including the Vanessa Guillen case and other instances of sexual…
May 25, 2023
Student Spotlight – Meet Ethan Attebery
Ethan Attebery earned the Filbert Award for his passion and initiative working as a student in the Veterans Clinic for the last two years. After completing a degree in agribusiness at Oklahoma State University, Ethan Attebery decided to attend law school to earn a practical, versatile degree. Having just completed his 2L year at Mizzou Law, he has also found mentorship, real-world experience, and a full-time position. “I knew that I wasn’t done with school,” Attebery said, “but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study next. I ultimately decided to attend Mizzou Law because the field is…
May 25, 2023
A Veteran Serving Veterans
Mizzou Law is proud of its many interdisciplinary connections, from partnerships with other institutions on campus to hosting students with diverse academic backgrounds. The Veterans Clinic, which provides veterans with free legal services as they pursue discharge upgrades and disability compensation claims, is pleased to announce retired physician Dr. Stephen Brietzke has joined the clinic as a volunteer medical consultant. In this role, he will assist law students and clinic faculty in determining the medical validity of veterans’ claims to help the clinic provide the best legal advice possible. “I’m essentially meeting with a law student to go over the…
May 25, 2023
Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Private support is vital to continuing the Veterans Clinic mission of helping veterans “Thank you for your service.” A phrase used across America to veterans and current members of the military to express gratitude for the sacrifice made for our country. Jane and Roger Harris decided they wanted to do more. And do more they did. This spring, the Harrises gave $500,000 to the MU Veterans Clinic with the confidence that their generosity would directly benefit veterans. Jane and Roger Harris donated $500,000 to the MU Veterans Clinic to support an additional full-time staff attorney. “We hear…
May 25, 2023
A Message from the Clinic Founder
Angela Drake, Clinic Founder This note is bittersweet because it is my last newsletter message for the Veterans Clinic. I am very excited to start enjoying retirement at the end of the year! The Clinic has truly been an exceptional part of my life and I will be forever grateful to all of the friends, colleagues, students and veterans who made the journey so rich. I often hear people say, “I have no words,” and now I fully understand the phrase. There is simply no way I can acknowledge each person who supported my efforts and the Clinic’s work over…
March 30, 2023
Mizzou Law Student, Veterans Clinic Director File Amicus Brief in the US Supreme Court
On March 29, Mizzou Law 2L Katherine Frerking and Professor Angela Drake, director of the MU Veterans Clinic, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court for an upcoming case. The case, Skaar v. McDonough, is a putative class action involving hundreds of veterans who were exposed to large amounts of radioactive plutonium dust when they participated in a “clean up” following the collision of two Air Force planes above Palomares, Spain in the 1960s. For years, the Office of Veterans Affairs (VA) used a flawed radiation dose estimate methodology to determine the amount of radiation to which these…
March 10, 2023
Veteran Information Session & Free Legal Consultations for Veterans Offered in Springfield, MO on March 17
The University of Missouri School of Law Veterans Clinic, through its Tigers for Troops program, and in partnership with the University of Arkansas – Little Rock (UALR) Veterans Legal Services Clinic, is hosting a General Veteran Information Session discussing various topics, to include information about the PACT Act. This event will take place at Legal Services of Southern Missouri located at 809 N. Campbell Ave., Springfield, MO 65802 from 9:00-10:30 am. The event is the first partnership between the two clinics to serve veterans who reside in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Immediately following the information session, both Veterans Clinics…
Nov. 7, 2022
Staff Spotlight – Eugene O’Loughlin
Intake Coordinator Eugene O’Loughlin Eugene O’Loughlin is the Intake Coordinator and Veterans Benefits Specialist in the Veterans Clinic. He comes to the Veterans Clinic with 14 years’ experience as an Accredited Veterans Service Officer with the Missouri Veterans Commission, where he assisted thousands of veterans with their claims for benefits. Over the years, he has been fortunate to work in an extremely busy office, which has exposed him to a great deal of veterans and other claimants with a wide variety of needs. He has done his best at trying to meet those needs, even if it was…