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**Military Law & Life Matters**

Arm yourself with knowledge, know your rights, and avoid becoming a victim of injustice. The Military Law &Life Matters Podcast empowers you to take charge of military law issues such as how to upgrade your discharge, what to do when facing an Officer Grade Determination to other legal issues we may face at various stages of our life. In addition to legal topics, the podcast will also cover Life Matters–Life Lessons I’ve learned along the way. This podcast is for our Heroes: Active Duty, Reserve, Guard, Veterans, Retirees and Family Members,

Latest Episodes:

MLM 99 - Attorney Trevor Orsinger - Expert on Real Estate Law and VA Loans Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

Attorney Trevor Orsinger discusses the history of VA home loans, who qualifies, and the pros and cons of a VA loan. Trevor also explains that Veterans need to check with their states as many states provide huge benefits to disabled veterans as it pertains to property tax exemptions.

Trevor Orsinger is the managing attorney of the Orsinger Law Group, P.C., a boutique litigation firm. The firm assists small businesses in evaluating, identifying, and structuring the best corporate organization to achieve strategic goals. Trevor also specializes in commercial and residential real estate transactions---and helps both military members and veterans with closings and other legal matters arising from buying or selling a home including navigating the VA loan process.

Trevor began his legal career in the Cook County Public Defender’s Office in Chicago, IL. After several years, called by a commitment to serve in the United States military, Trevor was commissioned in the USAF as an Air Force Judge Advocate (JAG). During his AF career, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in support of the task force that assisted the Iraqi government in rebuilding its judicial, correctional and law enforcement system. Trevor continues to serve in the ANG and is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Wisconsin Air National Guard as the Staff Judge Advocate for the 128th Air Refueling Wing.

https://orsingerlawgroup.com/

MLM 98 - Attorney Michael Macomber - Federal Employment Law - What every Federal Employee Needs to Know Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

Michael Macomber is a partner and CEO of Tully Rinckey PLLC, a national law firm that specializes in Federal Employment Law, Military Law and Security Clearance representation. In addition to being a Partner and CEO at Tully Rinckey PLLC, Michael is the Section Chair of the firm’s New York State Employment Group. He focuses his practice on federal and private sector employment law claims, including claims involving the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), New York Labor Law, New York Executive Law and Qui Tam claims. In his federal employment practice, Michael has represented employees before the United States Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit, MSPB, EEOC, NLRB, OSC, and various OIGs

https://www.tullylegal.com/

MLM 97 - Patricia Navarro - Army Veteran Provides Tips to Veterans Filing VA Claims Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

While Patrica Navarro is not an attorney, as an Army Veteran, she is a fierce advocate for Veterans by helping them navigate the VA claims process. Ms. Navarro has been working with Mr. Barry Allen, a VA Disability Law Attorney for 9 years where she specializes in Veterans' Benefits Claim Appeals--helping Veterans get the benefits they deserve!

http://www.yourvaadvocate.com/

Links to the sites Patricia discussed during the Podcast

https://www.va.gov/find-forms/ Search for VA forms by number or keyword

https://www.va.gov/health-care/get-medical-records/ Request medical records from VA medical centers and clinics online

https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-10-5345/ Request medical records from VA medical centers and clinics via mail

https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-3288/ Request information from VBA, including Claims file

https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/ Request service/military records through the VA online

https://www.archives.gov/veterans National Personnel Records Center to request military records online

https://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/documents/docs/standard_form_180.pdf Standard Form 180 to request entire military file, with instructions on where to send the request based on your service, via mail

https://www.va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply/ How to apply for VA Healthcare online

https://www.va.gov/disability/file-disability-claim-form-21-526ez/introduction How to apply for Disability benefits online

MLM 96 - Attorney Scott Friedman - former Army JAG -- helps clients with Security Clearance issues Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

Attorney Scott Friedman is a litigator based in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a former officer in the U.S. Army JAG Corps who served as a military prosecutor in Fort Hood, TX; a civil litigator in the Army’s Environmental Law Division in Fort Belvoir, VA; and deployed to Iraq as a Rule of Law and Claims attorney. After five years of active-duty service as a Army JAG, Scott entered private practice, working as an associate in a law firm where he represented businesses and medical professionals in personal injury lawsuits.

In 2017, Scott opened his own practice, where he focuses on criminal defense, civil litigation, and he assists individuals through all stages of the Security Clearance Process. His clients include Military Members, DoD Government Civilian employees and DoD Contractors.

https://ohiosecurityclearancelawyer.com/

https://scottjfriedmanlaw.com/

MLM 95 - Attorney Antoinette O'Neill - A fearless attorney who defends military members facing Courts-Martial Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

Antoinette (Toni) O'Neill is a retired Air Force JAG who is a Partner at Parlatore Law Group, a cloud based national law firm. She focuses her practice on the representation of military members facing adverse actions. Toni has had enormous success in military courtrooms across all the branches, securing acquittal after acquittal for her clients.

While on active duty with the Air Force, Toni had an unprecedented win rate as an area defense counsel then senior defense counsel, regularly being placed on the most high-profile and most complex cases in the Air Force. She is fearless in the courtroom where she feels the most at home. Toni has tried over 150 courts-martial.

Toni is a highly sought-after attorney focusing her practice on criminal defense and military law. With a passion for the courtroom, she has represented a myriad of clients, from general officers to newly enlisted recruits. Toni has an extraordinarily high acquittal rate in courts-martial cases she has tried.

Toni is the mom of two little girls and an interesting fact is that she played professional poker during her first year of law school to pay for expenses!

https://parlatorelawgroup.com/content/antoinette-quinn-oneill

MLM 94 - Attorney Davis Younts helps military members challenge the DoD Vaccine Mandate Mar 15, 2022

Show notes

Davis Younts is a military law attorney with over 19 years of experience. He is a former active duty Judge Advocate (JAG) who served as the Chief of Military Justice at the Air Force JAG School and as the Staff Judge Advocate at multiple Wings. In 2011, Davis was ranked the #1 senior defense counsel in the United States Air Force. He is currently a Lt Col in the USAF Reserve. Davis focuses his civilian legal practice on military law including court-martial defense, adverse actions, and military records corrections.

https://yountslaw.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI_0ypI-gs4

MLM 93 - Attorney Patrick Hughes - Suing the Armed Forces - A Servicemember's recourse when denied Military Entitlements Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Patrick Hughes is the co-founder of Patriots Law Group, a law firm he started with his friend and former active duty Air Force JAG colleague, Michael Lyons. Pat served nearly seven years on active duty, and then transferred to the Reserve as he formed Patriots Law Group in 2017. He started as a prosecutor and his next assignment was as a defense counsel, where he was ranked the #1 of 84 area defense counsel globally. In his final assignment on active duty, he shifted his focus to civil litigation, and defended the Air Force in federal courts pertaining to matters involving, among other things, military pay disputes. There, he represented the Air Force in lawsuits brought by servicemembers involving claims where the military had unlawfully denied entitlements. Many of these cases involved claims of six or seven figure money demands and multiple class-action lawsuits. These cases were usually filed after a servicemember sought relief through the Board for Corrections of Military Records but was denied. Pat also defended the Air Force against federal civilian employees who brought discrimination claims before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and when challenging their adverse personnel actions before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).

In his private practice, Pat now represents servicemembers, primarily in the civil realm, including administrative claims brought in the boards for corrections of each military department, claims for military pay brought in the Court of Federal Claims or claims taken up in Federal District Courts.

https://www.patriotslawgroup.com/

MLM 92 - A Preview of the Next Series of Podcasts Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

Excited to share with you interviews with talented lawyers in the military community who will educate you about the focus area of their law practice. I know you will learn a lot about different areas of law and be armed with knowledge in case you or a loved one needs help in a specific area of law. When you need an attorney, it's best to seek advice from someone who is an expert. Hope you enjoy these interviews with attorneys who are passionate about law and passionate about serving the military community!

MLM 91 - Officer Grade Determinations Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

As a former senior legal advisor at the SECAF Personnel Council, I was the action officer, lawyer and voting member on OGD Boards.

Things you need to know about your OGD

What does the OGD Board look at?

How to prepare ahead of time if you know you will undergo an OGD.

How does a reduction in your rank affect you post-retirement, including your retirement pay

AFI 36-3203, Service Retirements

https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-3203/afi36-3203.pdf

Blog article--The Tangibles and Intangibles of Retiring at a Lower Grade

https://ferahozbek.com/officer-grade-determinations-the-tangibles-and-intangibles-of-retiring-at-a-lower-grade/

Blog article--What you need to know BEFORE you decide to retire

https://ferahozbek.com/officer-grade-determinations-ogds-what-you-need-to-know-now-before-you-apply-for-retirement/

MLM 90 - Why you need a Living Will Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

Take a look at the ABA website below to learn more about Living Wills, Health Care Proxies, & Advance Health Care Directives

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/real_property_trust_estate/resources/estate_planning/living_wills_health_care_proxies_advance_health_care_directives/

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Blog article--The Tangibles and Intangibles of Retiring at a Lower Grade

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