Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc.

The Project

Bernadette E. Valdellon was an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), where she assisted veterans in obtaining disability benefits related to their military service through NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors program.

Fellowship Highlights

During her Fellowship, Bernadette:

• Analyzed military and personnel records of veterans requesting assistance with discharge upgrades, wrongful personality disorder discharges, and disability benefits for diseases related to Agent Orange exposure.
• Drafted legal memoranda and supervised pro bono attorneys assisting with the discharge review process.

What’s Next?

After her Fellowship, Bernadette became a staff attorney at NVLSP for two years. In this position, she managed a national pro bono program providing representation to almost 100 veterans seeking disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for mental conditions related to sexual trauma experienced in service. Now, she is an associate at Victor M. Glasberg & Associates.

The Project

Julia enforced the ADA rights of welfare recipients with disabilities through direct services, administrative advocacy, and the creation of accessible training programs.

What’s Next?

Julia is the executive director of the John Paul Stevens Fellowship Foundation, investing in summer public interest fellowships for law students who want to build careers in civil rights, legal aid, and public defense. Previously Julia served as CEO of OneJustice, where she led the organization’s work to bring life-changing legal help to Californians in need through a statewide network of law firms, law schools, corporate legal departments, and 100+ nonprofit legal organizations.

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