“Honestly, Doug, this brings the Board to a new low.”
I received this response from a well-respected VLJ regarding my question about the Chairman hiring the Board’s Chief Counsel without any Veterans law experience. We should all be disheartened by this decision, as the Chief Counsel is typically regarded as the Board’s premier subject matter expert. The selected candidate not only lacks expertise in Veterans law but has no knowledge of it whatsoever.
The Office of the Chief Counsel provides expert legal counsel, guidance, and recommendations to senior Board leadership and counterparts within the VA, supporting the Board’s mission to deliver legally sound decisions efficiently – particularly on appeals of exceptional difficulty, complexity, or controversy. The Chief Counsel also offers oral and written legal recommendations to Veterans Law Judges (VLJs), Board attorneys, appellate support staff, and other VA administrations on novel and complex issues arising under Veterans benefits law, as well as on the implementation of new statutes, regulations, and precedential case law.
Sadly, the Chairman’s decision to hire a Chief Counsel with no knowledge of Veterans law signifies the death of expertise at the Board. This decision is an insult to our dedicated employees with expertise in Veterans law, some of whom likely applied for the Chief Counsel position. It is clear that the Chairman, who appears to be more focused on padding his resume as he seeks his next cushy government job, does not understand or value the work necessary to produce a quality product. His incompetence warrants intervention from the Secretary or his successor.
