From Denied Service to Serving Veterans

I've spent most of my life trying to serve my country.

During my sophomore year of college, I worked with a Marine Corps recruiter for months, preparing to join the Marine Corps. After all that work, I was told I was ineligible for a medical waiver. The Marines wouldn't have me. The recruiter told me that my persistence and perseverance would have served me well as a Marine, and that those qualities would be valuable in whatever career I pursued. He was right—just not in the way either of us expected.

I didn't give up. Six years later, during law school, I applied for a competitive summer internship with the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG). I was selected. During my internship, I worked alongside Army attorneys, learning military law and proving I could serve effectively. The experience reinforced what I'd always known: I was capable, I was qualified, and I could contribute.

The following year, I applied to join the Army JAG Corps as a commissioned officer. Again, I was selected—one of a limited number chosen from hundreds of applicants nationwide. I was assigned to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. I had my duty station. I had my commissioning date on the calendar. I was preparing to take the oath and begin my service as a United States Army officer.

Eighteen days before my commissioning, I received notification that the Command Surgeon had denied my request for a medical waiver.

After months with the Marine recruiter, after six years of persistence, after earning two competitive selections from the Army JAG Corps, after proving myself during my internship—I was told 'no' for the second time. Not because I wasn't qualified. Not because I couldn't do the job. Because a government medical authority decided I didn't meet the standard, even though the JAG Corps had twice selected me.

I know what it's like when a bureaucrat you've never met defines your future based on paperwork. I know the frustration of a medical decision that doesn't capture the full picture. I know what it's like to be 18 days away from your goal, only to have a government medical authority say 'no' based on a file.

Now I fight when the VA does the same thing to veterans—when they deny service connection based on an inadequate C&P exam, when they lowball your rating because the examiner spent 15 minutes with you, when bureaucratic medical decisions don't reflect the reality of how your service-connected disabilities affect your daily life.

Professional Background

• Federal Prosecutor

Unable to serve in uniform, I channeled my commitment to service into becoming an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. As a federal prosecutor, I handled a full caseload of both white-collar and violent crimes, including federal program fraud and sex offender cases.

I frequently represented the United States in federal court during all stages of prosecution, including trial and sentencing. I drafted and filed numerous pleadings in federal district and appellate courts and successfully argued before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

My work earned me the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois' Distinguished Service Award—the highest award given by the office, recognizing superior service to the United States of America as well as outstanding legal work and commitment to excellence.

• Fraud Investigator

Most recently, I worked as an investigative attorney for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Office of Inspector General (OIG). In this role, I investigated hundreds of cases of potential fraud related to the FCC's Universal Service Fund, which distributes $10 billion annually to ensure all Americans have access to communications services.

My investigations resulted in multiple convictions of wrongdoers and millions of dollars in restitution returned to the federal government. During my time at the FCC OIG, I identified gaps and proposed recommendations that helped create and strengthen government programs distributing tens of billions of dollars to students and healthcare providers across the country.

This background means I know how to:

• Analyze evidence and identify weaknesses in VA decisions

• Find procedural errors in bureaucratic processes

• Build compelling legal arguments

• Hold government agencies accountable when they make mistakes

Track Record

In 2025 alone, I personally helped hundreds of veterans secure the VA benefits they had earned. My clients obtained over $2 million in past-due benefits and ongoing monthly compensation for service-connected disabilities.

Every case is different, and past results don't guarantee future outcomes. But these numbers represent real veterans who now have the financial security and medical care they deserve—veterans who were initially denied or underrated by the VA.

Military Family Connection

My passion for serving veterans comes from a lifetime of personal connections to the military.

My wife has served our country for 15 years—first in the Air Force and now as an officer in the United States Public Health Service. As a military spouse for 11 years, I understand military culture and the unique challenges veterans and their families face.

My father was a Marine who later joined the Army National Guard. Both of my grandfathers saw combat during World War II. I have numerous relatives who have served—and continue to serve—our country across multiple generations.

Veterans aren't just my clients. They're my family.

Education & Credentials

• Juris Doctor, Temple University Beasley School of Law

  • Awarded the Harriet Robinson Gillock Memorial Award, recognizing three distinguished graduates who most exemplify integrity and professional and personal dedication to fellow students and the law school community

• VA-Accredited Attorney (POA Code JJQ)

  • Verify my accreditation with the VA Office of General Counsel

Let's Talk About Your VA Claim

If the VA has denied your claim or given you a rating that's too low, I'd like to help. I know what it's like to face an unjust government medical decision, and I know how to fight back.