By Maureen Thomas

Major General Mike Nardotti (US Army, Retired and former The Judge Advocate General, US Army) is a Senior Partner at  Squire Patton Boggs. The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program recently recognized Mike for over 20 years of service to veterans and their families, caregivers and survivors, as a member of TVC’s National Volunteer Corps. Over the past 25 years, lawyers like Mike from Squire Patton Boggs have supported The Veterans Consortium with over 92 engagements in federal courts, participated in specialized Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims trainings, and assisted TVC in dramatically improving our ability to provide free legal services to veterans and their loved ones.

With Volunteers Inspiring Pro bono (VIPs) like Mike Nardotti and his colleagues at Squire Patton Boggs, TVC’s National Volunteer Corps now stands at more than 2500 attorneys (from both law firms and corporate legal teams) and paralegals and other pro bono professionals from coast to coast. These volunteers help to ensure that veterans receive the care, benefits, and compensation that they were promised and that they deserve, as well as the best legal services free of charge.  TVC’s 82% success rate in federal court cases is achieved by the passionate commitment of our National Volunteer Corps members like Mike Nardotti.

A decorated combat veteran, Mike has brought considerable experience and distinction to his pro bono work. By day, he represents clients on a broad range of defense and national security issues at the Department of Defense and other federal agencies and on matters of special interest to members of Congress. Before that, Mike served for more than 28 years on active duty as a soldier and lawyer: from 1993 to 1997, he was The Judge Advocate General—the senior military lawyer in the Army—advising military and civilian leaders on sensitive, complex, and high-profile legal and policy issues.

Needless to say, The Veterans Consortium is grateful to have talented lawyers like Mike providing their pro bono service to veterans in need. In the words of Veterans Consortium Executive Director Ed Glabus, “We are privileged to have professionals like Mike Nardotti on the rolls of TVC’s National Volunteer Corps, and we salute his pro bono service as above and beyond the call of duty.”

Maureen Thomas is Deputy Director, Client and Stakeholder Outreach and Communications at The Veterans Consortium.