The NOVA 2021 Fall Conference will be held in-person in Washington, DC, from September 30 - October 2, 2021. This conference is intended for both new and experienced veterans law practitioners. The seminar will increase your knowledge, confidence, and expertise in representing veterans before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In addition, your time may be credited to your jurisdiction’s CLE requirements. We hope you join us!
The Fall 2021 conference has now reached full capacity and we are sold out. We hope you will consider joining us in Scottsdale for our Spring 2022 conference in March.
For our return to an in-person experience and in consultation with NOVA’s seminar committee, Board of Directors, and Hyatt hotel staff, we are sharing information currently intended for this conference only to ease the transition and make the experience as comfortable as possible for those who attend.
We will have one, three-day conference with no breakout sessions. All sessions will be held in the Regency Ballroom, the hotel’s largest space. We are committed to a 2x6 classroom format and we expect to cap attendance at approximately 400 people.
There will be no virtual option at this conference. We do plan to record the sessions and will offer them afterwards for purchase if you cannot attend. Please note that we plan to hold another fully virtual conference in spring 2023.
Thank you for your interest in registering for the upcoming conference. Currently, because of limitations on attendance, registration is full.
Please review the following requirements designed to ensure the safety of ALL attendees and hotel staff:
- All attendees and exhibitors will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
- To be fully vaccinated prior to the start of the conference, you must have received your last dose on or before September 16, 2021.
- Provide proof of your vaccination (and welcome you to do so via encrypted mail, password-protected, or other secure means) to Katy Whalen, at kwhalen@vetadvocates.org, by September 17, 2021.
- NOVA will not be storing this information.
- All attendees and exhibitors will be required to sign a liability waiver. Please sign and return the waiver to Katy NO LATER THAN September 17, 2021.
- No spouses, family members, or guests of attendees or exhibitors will be permitted to attend the NOVA reception on Friday night, regardless of vaccination status.
- Masks are required in all meeting and public spaces in the hotel.
Please note that we are taping the conference, except for the guest speakers, and recordings will be available for sale after the conference. Thank you again for your interest in NOVA!
Washington, DC - September 30, 2021 - October 2, 2021
Hotel: Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
Hotel: Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
Hotel reservations are available now by clicking HERE. The NOVA room block rate at Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill is $245 plus tax, per night, single and double occupancy, and is available three days prior and three days after the conference based upon room availability. Your reservation must be made by Wednesday, September 8, for the NOVA rate to be honored. Please book your hotel room early as space is limited and the NOVA room block always fills before the deadline.
For a more detailed schedule including session descriptions, please view our Brochure HERE.
Thursday September 30, 2021
|
7:30AM |
Continental Breakfast & Registration |
|
8:00 AM |
Welcoming Remarks |
|
8:15 AM |
Maximizing Secondary Service Connection - John Niles, Esq. |
|
9:15 AM |
Earlier Effective Date Buffet - Tamesha Larbi, Esq. |
|
10:15AM |
BREAK |
|
10:30AM |
Maintaining Solid Client Relationships - Scott McCLune, Esq. |
|
11:30AM |
LUNCH (on your own) |
|
1:00 PM |
Navigating the Supplemental Claim Lane - Michael Lostritto, Esq. |
|
2:15 PM |
BREAK |
|
2:30 PM |
Overview of VA Caregivers Program - Kent Eiler, Esq. |
|
3:30 PM |
Using the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) and Other Development Tools to Support Military Toxic Exposure Cases - Anita Ritchie, Esq. |
Friday October 1, 2021
| 7:30 AM | Continental Breakfast - Sign in for CLEs Each Morning! |
| 8:00 AM | MST Claims and Appeals - Samantha Kubek, Esq. & Olivia Cole, Esq. |
| 9:15 AM | BREAK |
| 9:30 AM | Pre-Argument Session - Zachary Stolz, Esq. |
| 10:00 AM | UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS, ORAL ARGUMENT Case: Florence Petite v. Denis McDonough, No. 19-5815 Panel of judges: Chief Judge Margaret Bartley; Judge Coral W. Pietsch; Judge Michael P. Allen |
| 11:30 AM | LUNCH (on your own) |
| 1:00 PM | VBA Speaker - Thomas J. Murphy, Acting Under Secretary for Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs |
| 1:30 PM | BVA Update - Cheryl Mason, Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals |
| 2:00 PM | Ethics - TBD |
| 3:00 PM | BREAK |
| 3:15 PM | How Has My Practice Changed In The AMA? - Moderator: James March, Esq. Panelists: Allison Reddick, Esq., Heather Vanhoose, Esq., Doug Jackson, Esq. |
| 5:00 PM | RECEPTION - Sponsored by Bergmann & Moore, LLC |
Saturday October 2, 2021
| 7:30 AM | Continental Breakfast - Sign in for CLEs Each Morning! |
| 7:45 AM | NOVA Membership Meeting, B0D Election & Awards |
| 8:15 AM | Legislative, Regulatory & Outreach Update - Diane Boyd Rauber, Esq. |
| 9:00 AM | CAVC/Federal Circuit Caselaw Update - Barbara Cook, Esq. |
| 10:15 AM | BREAK |
| 10:30 AM | How to Succesfully ARgue 38 C.F.R. 3.156(c) - Kenneth Carpenter, Esq. |
| 11:45 AM | LUNCH (on your own) |
| 1:00 PM | Evidence Development to Counter Negative VA Exam - Timothy Franklin, Esq. & Megan Kondrachuk, Esq. |
| 2:00 PM | Case Study - Katrina Eagle, Esq. & Jim Radogna, Accredited Agent |
Click HERE for our Fall 2021 Conference Brochure!
Organizations that register two or more individuals at the same time can apply the multi-registration discount. The discount is 10% off your final amount, or each registration. *Please note this discount does not apply to single registrations and can only be used if registering from the same firm at the same time.*
Discount Code: WELCOMEBACK21
The conference has now reached full capacity and we are sold out. We hope you will consider joining us in Scottsdale for our Spring 2022 conference in March.
Registration Cancellation Policy:
Before September 10, 2021.....................75% if fee paid will be returned
On or After September 10, 2021.............No Refund (Seminar Materials will be provided)
Other Registration Information:
- Organizations that register two or more individuals at the same time can apply the multi-registration discount. The discount is 10% off your final amount, or each registration. *Please note this discount does not apply to single registrations and can only be used if registering from the same firm at the same time.* Discount Code: WELCOMEBACK21
- Please note that the student registration rate is reserved for active full-time law students. If you possess a Law School/Student NOVA Membership as a Law Professor, please register under the NOVA Member Rate.
- When completing your registration, please do so as you would like your name badge at the conference to read. We will also use the information provided on your registration to compile our list of seminar attendees that is distributed with conference materials. We do not use your NOVA member profile information.
- Please provide a unique email address for each attendee that is their own email, not that of their organization or staff. The email provided on the registration form will be used for all conference communication, including materials and CLE, and we want to ensure proper receipt.
- Please note that unlike events in the past, the 2021 Fall Conference will be one, three-day event. For this event, there is no longer the option to attend only the first day or only the last two days.
- Please make sure to contact NOVA staff if you have any disability requiring special accommodation or assistance. We want our attendees to be as comfortable as possible.
About 1 week before the conference, you will receive an email (to the email with which you registered) with a link to download the seminar materials. Make sure to open all PDF's with an adobe reader, and find and click on the paperclip icon, in order to access any attachments such as speaker bios and exhibits.
William G. Smith Scholarships
Scholarships have been created in memory of NOVA Founding Member William G. Smith, Esq., who provided leadership and support to countless practitioners in veterans law. Scholarships cover the cost of registration only and are available to individuals who are not financially able to attend, and who would not otherwise be able to attend the seminar due to financial hardship. These scholarships are designated for attorneys, non-attorney practitioners, law students, and also accredited veteran’s service representatives. The deadline to submit a scholarship is Friday August 6, 2021.
Applications are now closed.
Display the resources you have to offer those who serve our nation's veterans! Among NOVA’s greatest benefits are our semi-annual seminars, held to ensure that our members have the best tools and latest information so they may better serve their clients.
At this time, our exhibit space is full. However, we still have sponsorships available which are listed below.
Become a NOVA Sponsor
We are eager to work with you and help you publicize the resources you have available more effectively. By sponsoring one of the following events/items we offer at a NOVA Conference, your brand is sure to capture the attention of our attendees. The list below is just a sample of some of the sponsorship opportunities available, contact us for more!
- Power Strip Sponsor: $4,500
- Breakfast Sponsor: $3,000 (Thursday & Saturday available)
- Name Badge Sponsor: (Booked for Washington, DC)
- Morning/Afternoon Break Sponsor: $1,500 (5 available)
- Reception Sponsor: (Booked for Washington, DC)
For a Sponsor application, please contact Stacie Lemick at slemick@vetadvocates.org.
CLE credits vary by state and NOVA programs are usually fully accepted. We have sign in sheets each day to record your attendance for CLE purposes.
At the conclusion of the conference, NOVA staff will calculate your CLE credit hours based on whether you signed in at the registration desk each morning. Then, approximately two weeks after the conference you will receive an email with necessary forms and other supplemental materials that you will then have to submit to your state bar or the VA.
Any questions regarding CLE, please contact Katy Whalen.
- Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill
- Article One (operating as grab and go) Lunch 11:30-2pm
- Article One Lounge (grab and go) Dinner 4-10pm
- Art and Soul – located in Yotel (415 New Jersey Ave., NW)
- Lunch: Tuesday - Friday 11:30am-3pm
- Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday 5pm-8pm
- West Wing Café (300 New Jersey Ave., NW)
- M-F 7am-3pm
- Bistro Bis – located in Hotel George (15 E St., NW)
- Lunch: Tuesday – Friday 12-2pm
- Dinner: Tuesday – Saturday 5-9pm
- Hamilton’s Bar & Grill (233 2nd St., NW) dine in or carryout (reservations encouraged for dine in)
- Wednesday 12-8pm
- Thursday 12-10pm
- Friday and Saturday 12pm-12am
- Charlie Palmer Steak House (101 Constitution Ave., NW) 202-547-8100 (reservations encouraged)
- M-F lunch 11:45-2pm
- M-F dinner 5-9pm
- M-f 11:45-9pm Bar and all-day menu
- Rasika (633 D St., NW) 202-637-1222 (reservations)
- Lunch M-F 11:30-2:30pm
- Dinner M-S 5-10pm
- Buffalo & Bergen (240 Massachusetts Ave., NE)
- M-Th 8-3pm
- F-Sun 8-4pm
Registration
When
Location
- Washington, DC, USA
