On November 18, 1988, President Reagan signed into law the Veterans' Judicial Review Act (Pub. L. No. 100-687), which established as a court of record the United States Court of Veterans Appeals. Pursuant to the Veterans' Programs Enhancement Act of 1998 (Pub. L. No. 105-368) and effective March 1, 1999, the Court's name was changed to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. As a court of record, the court is part of the United States judiciary and not part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The laws creating and establishing the Court are codified in chapter 72 of title 38, United States Code.
The Court is authorized seven permanent, active Judges, and two additional Judges as part of a temporary expansion provision. Judges generally are appointed for 15-year terms, and each Judge has the option upon retirement to agree to be available for further service as a recall-eligible Senior Judge. During any period of recall service, a Senior Judge has all of the judicial authority and powers of a Judge in active service.
The Court has exclusive jurisdiction over decisions of the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board or BVA). The Court reviews Board decisions appealed by claimants who believe the Board erred in its decision. The Court's review of Board decisions is based on the record before the agency and arguments of the parties, which are presented in a written brief, with oral argument generally held only in cases presenting new legal issues.
The Court's principal office is in Washington, D.C., but the Court is authorized to sit anywhere in the United States and does so a limited number of times each year. (Source:court's website)
The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims posts the orders and opinions of the court on their website in the section marked Orders and Opinions.
Using Lexis Advance you can browse topics and under Military & Veterans Law and find Veterans Appeals materials. (password required)
Using Westlaw you can search the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for coverage beginning with 1988 (password required)
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) is a part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), located in Washington, D.C. The Board’s mission is to conduct hearings and decide appeals properly before the Board in a timely manner.
How do I Access the Status of My Appeal?
Appeals Status on Vets.gov The VA Launched the appeals status tracker and now Veterans with a compensation appeal can view their past and current appeals issues, receive alerts for deadlines when action is required, preview the next events in their timeline, and see estimates of how long it will take to reach those events.
to access opinions via Westlaw (password required)
to access via LexisNexis (password required)