Bureau of Pensions Advocates
August 24, 2011
Dear Sir/Madam:
I am writing because I believe your membership would be interested to know that Veterans have access to free legal advice and representation- through the Bureau of Pensions Advocates.
The Bureau – established by statute in 1971 — makes Canada unique as the only nation known to offer free legal services to its Veterans. And, while the Bureau is funded by the Government of Canada, it is otherwise like any private law firm. This means that its approximately 40 lawyers (who have an average of 20 years experience or more and are based out of 14 offices across the country) must be members in good standing of their respective provincial or territorial law societies; they must adhere to the various codes of professional conduct and ethics; and they must respect the same solicitor-client relationship as a lawyer in private practice.
Where the Bureau’s lawyers differ from our counterparts in private practice is that we work exclusively with Canadians who are either involved in a departmental review within Veterans Affairs Canada or have proceedings before the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. Consequently we will, during an average year, counsel and/or represent more than 13,000 Veterans, RCMP members and other clients who are having difficulty with an application for Veterans’ Affairs disability benefits. In providing this service, we also work closely with the Royal Canadian Legion, other Veterans’ organizations or private lawyers to ensure the best representation possible for our clients.
Perhaps most impressive, however, is the consistently strong endorsement we receive from the men and women we serve. We periodically survey clients who have completed their review and appeal hearings and, without fail, more than 95 per cent of them will offer a favourable opinion of the Bureau.
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We are proud of our solid 40-year record, but we are most proud of the opportunity to serve many of Canada’s finest men and women.
If you are interested in learning more about our organization, please visit us at
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/clients/sub.cfm?source=services/benefits/bpa
Yours sincerely,
Brian J. McKenna
Executive Director & Chief Pensions Advocate
Bureau of Pensions Advocates
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