February 2017 VIP: Jill Mitchell-Thein
Jill-Mitchell-TheinVets Pro Bono Volunteer
San Antonio, TX
Heard & Smith, LLP
www.heardandsmith.com
www.fight4veteransrights.com
Connect with Jill on LinkedIn
“You get to help veterans whose appeals are usually in desperate need of real ‘lawyering’ by the time their claim gets to the CAVC. Veterans are always grateful for the free legal help.”
— Jill Mitchell-Thein
Vets Pro Bono Volunteer
"We are excited to announce Jill Mitchell-Thein as our February VIP: Volunteer Inspiring Pro Bono! Jill has been a member of the TVC Pro Bono program for 16 years. She recently received a reversal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC), wherein the judge praised her advocacy of her client’s case."
— Courtney L. Smith, Esq.
Senior Director, CAVC Practice
The Veterans Consortium
The brief was described as a "well written, non-formularized brief containing a clear analysis of the law as applied to the facts of this case." He also found it "directly and persuasively engaging as to the issues presented."
It is a testament to the quality of Jill’s work and the difference she is making for our veterans, so we salute her with the "VIP of the Month" award for The Veterans Consortium. Jill's commitment to our veterans epitomizes the dedication our national corps of volunteers demonstrates on a daily basis.
Thank you, Jill!
How did you get involved?
"I contacted the Consortium, received a case, and filed my first Notice of Appearance in February of 2001. Carol Scott was instrumental in recruiting me and she continues to cheer me on all these years later."
Why I am passionate about being a pro bono volunteer...
"You get to help veterans whose appeals are usually in desperate need of real ‘lawyering’ by the time their claim gets to the CAVC. Veterans are always grateful for the free legal help."
Jill’s Background
Jill has been a member of the TVC Pro Bono Volunteer corps for 16 years, specializing exclusively in veterans’ law since 2000. A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, and St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas, Jill was admitted to practice before the CAVC in 2001, and in 2009, was recruited by Heard & Smith, LLP (a nationwide Social Security Disability firm headquartered in San Antonio) to create and manage its veterans’ law section.
A resident of San Antonio, Jill is the mother of two, stepmother of five, and married to a retired naval officer. In her limited free time, she enjoys yoga, creative writing, reading one novel per year, and flea market shopping, but not simultaneously.