By: Rebecca Bowman, J.D. Candidate 2027, Suffolk University Law School
Some of my earliest memories are tied to being the child of a veteran of the United States military. I remember walking onto bases with my dependent military ID, exploring with wide eyes and marveling at the little community present within each base. I remember stomping around the house in my dad’s oversized boots and seeing his dress blues hanging in the closet from his time in the Marines.
I also remember the bittersweet moments: watching him leave the house in uniform, waving goodbye with small hands as he set off for training or drill or other obligations. Yet, even then, I felt grateful. Because even though those short absences were challenging, I knew they were very different from what so many other families experience when their loved ones deploy for months or years at a time, often to far more distant and dangerous places.
My dad would later share stories from his time as a young Marine, or of others that he knew had served or were still serving. He often spoke of how fortunate he felt. I mean, he came home safely, while so many of his friends and brothers went on to continue serving. Some even made the ultimate sacrifice. As I got older, I heard similar stories from friends and others who had served or lost someone who had. All those conversations throughout my life have left a lasting imprint on me, shaping how I understand the sacrifices military families make, as well as the unique challenges veterans carry with them long after their service ends.
This foundation ultimately led me to apply to the Veterans Justice Project at the Harvard Legal Services Center for Summer 2025. My commitment to supporting service members, veterans and their families has been embedded since childhood. This summer, as a law student, I was able to translate this lifelong connection into meaningful advocacy. At LSC, I was given the opportunity to channel my experiences, dedication, and developing legal education into supporting those who have served and continue to serve.
What always struck me most growing up was the overwhelming sense of family that comes with military life. I remember stopping to talk to every older veteran in a USMC baseball cap, and the reverence my dad showed to them for their service. It is a sense of connection, of belonging to something larger than yourself. And that feeling has always stayed with me.
This is the same sentiment I saw during my time at LSC. Every client who walks through those doors in Jamaica Plain is met not just with passionate legal aid, but also with compassion, respect, and the feeling that they are now part of another community who has their back. At its core, LSC provides veterans and their families with more than representation. It provides a community that listens, stands up for you, and makes sure you’re not facing any post-service challenges alone.
The Veterans Justice Project (VJP), which works collaboratively with the Safety Net and Estate Planning Projects within the broader Veterans Law and Disability Benefits Clinic, focuses on serving low-income veterans and their families, who would otherwise lack the means to obtain legal representation. A large part of the VJP’s work includes seeking discharge upgrades for those discharged under Other Than Honorable (“OTH”) conditions, which can affect the veterans’ access to critical benefits. One category of benefits for Massachusetts veterans that is often affected by an OTH discharge are those offered under Chapter 115 of the Massachusetts General Laws (“Chapter 115”). With some major updates due to the 2024 passage of the HERO Act, Chapter 115 now provides even more comprehensive benefits for veterans and their families.
This summer, I jumped headfirst into the work of supporting veterans and military families, whether that meant helping the attorneys prep legal arguments, reviewing filings down to the last comma (yes, commas matter that much), or wrestling Bluebook citations into submission. Every task at LSC was important, but one project stuck with me: updating the Self-Help Guide on Chapter 115 veterans’ benefits.
Working through the nuances of Chapter 115, particularly after the HERO Act updates, was no small feat. But with the guidance of LSC and VJP super-Director Daniel Nagin and the amazing Lisa Musto, as well as co-intern Casey Sullivan ‘25, I was able to piece together all the intricacies of the Chapter 115 benefits structure.
Now, I get it. “Updating a benefits guide” doesn’t exactly sound like edge-of-your-seat lawyering. But here is the thing: for veterans navigating the Chapter 115 benefits system on their own, the guide could mean the difference between months of frustration and finally getting the benefits you need.
As we all know, the law is complex and can often be scary, especially to people outside of the legal field. My role was to translate the nuances of Chapter 115 into an accurate, up-to-date, and digestible format so everyone can get the help they need, should they choose to use the guide. That meant scrubbing out the legal jargon and making sure that readers would know exactly what Chapter 115 could offer them.
Chapter 115 itself is full of nuances, exceptions, and cross-references that could make even the most patient reader want to wave a white flag. But untangling those strands wasn’t just an exercise in statutory and regulatory research. It was also, and most importantly, about making sure the veterans and their families who depend on Chapter 115 benefits don’t have to do the untangling themselves.
One of the most fulfilling parts of updating the guide was learning to appreciate that small changes can have a big impact. Creating a sharper, clearer updated guide meant ensuring that veterans spend less time wandering down endless internet (or paperwork) holes and more time learning how they can get the benefits they’ve earned.
This project in particular reminded me that public interest lawyering isn’t just about big courtroom wins (though we did have those this summer as well, just look at Jett Watson’s (HLS ’26) blog post). It is also about building practical tools that make people’s lives easier by translating the (often headache-inducing) lawyering language into a reader-friendly format.
I will always be grateful to the Veterans Justice Project, and the opportunity it afforded me to give back to the veterans who have given so much themselves. Heading into my 2L year, I am excited to carry my experiences at LSC with me. I am taking away not just the legal skills, but the reminder that public interest lawyering and advocacy is about people first. My time at LSC deepened my commitment to being a dedicated and zealous advocate for those who deserve it most. And if that means wrestling with more Bluebook citations or untangling another statutory puzzle along the way, I’m ready for it.
For more on the Veterans Justice Project: HERE