A U.S. Supreme Court decision expanding GI Bill benefits is helping more veterans pursue law school at the University of Montana, where a growing student-led group supports the transition from the combat zone to the courtroom.
Disabled Veterans and former non-commissioned officers, Remington Prochaska, of Everett, Washington, and David Ley, of Missoula, recently founded the Veterans Law Group at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law.
“We’re building a network of veterans bound by shared experience,” Ley said. “The nation has already invested in shaping us into capable, caring leaders. Now we’re putting that investment to work by strengthening and uplifting our communities.”
The Veterans Law Group is an active and ambitious student organization. Their initial efforts have centered on fundraising and laying the groundwork for larger goals:
- Tackling veteran accessibility issues through policy reform, legislation and public awareness.
- Creating statewide legal assistance services for veterans.
- Offering skill-building opportunities that prepare members to engage in lobbying and the legislative process.
- Representing veterans in Washington, D.C., by 2026.
The Army’s leadership actions of influence, operate and improve are a driving force in steering of the Veterans Law Group.
“I feel like I have soldiers again,” said Prochaska, who served eight years in the Army, including tours in Italy, Ukraine, Estonia and Africa. “My goal is to create something we can use as support now, and we are building something future veterans will continue to use after we leave.”
Ley, who served nine years on active duty, including two years leading soldiers in Afghanistan, recalled the difficulty of pursuing education while on active duty.
“I started college in a tent in Afghanistan, sneaking away to finish assignments after missions,” Ley said. “I would study flashcards in the bunker during rocket attacks.”
The ruling in Rudisill v. McDonough allows veterans who separately accrue benefits under both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills to use both benefits in any order, up to the 48-month aggregate cap. The decision overturns prior Department of Veterans Affairs policy, which had limited veterans to whichever GI Bill benefits they claimed first.
This decision ensures veterans like Prochaska and Ley can take full advantage of post-graduate educational opportunities without having to worry about benefit restrictions.
“This was a huge decision for veterans,” said Ley, who had used Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits to complete his undergraduate education. “It allowed me to save my GI Bill, allowing me to go to law school.”
The UM law school now counts several veterans among its students, including seven in the second-year class alone. This year, the Blewett School of Law is using a Master of Social Work intern who is also a disabled veteran using both the GI Bill and VR&E. This further expands the network of peer support and mentorship available.
“The Army instilled these values into us for combat,” Prochaska said. “Here, we’re taking that mindset and using it to help others succeed in a new battlefield – law school.”
By Phil Stempin, UM News Service