Board of Veterans Appeals (Attorney Advisor)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that OGC at is not a good place to work, particularly Group VII, which defends the Board’s decisions before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. These are not just rumors. If you take a look on Westlaw, you will see a MSPB case involving the firing of a Group VII attorney. One of the cited reasons for firing this attorney was his alleged failure to meet court deadlines. The attorney brought in several witnesses (former supervisory attorneys) who testified that missing court deadlines is very common due to the heavy workload. Another tidbit, the attorneys there regularly use boilerplate briefs. You won’t be performing high level appellate work as a Group VII attorney.

Of course, OGC at VA is huge so experiences may vary in other groups.

Former Group V attorney and yes that is true about Group VII!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that OGC at is not a good place to work, particularly Group VII, which defends the Board’s decisions before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. These are not just rumors. If you take a look on Westlaw, you will see a MSPB case involving the firing of a Group VII attorney. One of the cited reasons for firing this attorney was his alleged failure to meet court deadlines. The attorney brought in several witnesses (former supervisory attorneys) who testified that missing court deadlines is very common due to the heavy workload. Another tidbit, the attorneys there regularly use boilerplate briefs. You won’t be performing high level appellate work as a Group VII attorney.

Of course, OGC at VA is huge so experiences may vary in other groups.

Former Group V attorney and yes that is true about Group VII!

Thanks for confirming what I read in a MSPB decision.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone get a call for phone interview from a background investigator for this position? Mine said I had filled out an SF86, which I did not. I filled out an SF85P and Supplement, as requested by the security office. I have already accepted a final offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone get a call for phone interview from a background investigator for this position? Mine said I had filled out an SF86, which I did not. I filled out an SF85P and Supplement, as requested by the security office. I have already accepted a final offer.

Never mind. Issue resolved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone get a call for phone interview from a background investigator for this position? Mine said I had filled out an SF86, which I did not. I filled out an SF85P and Supplement, as requested by the security office. I have already accepted a final offer.

Never mind. Issue resolved.

Resolved... for now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard there is remote work at the Board. That sounds like a great perk. It might be worth the abuse for the flexibility.

I can speak from personal experience that my colleagues and I worry about our jobs on a weekly basis due to the high production quotas and mistreatment/abuse. Sure, you get the flexibility to telework full time, but there's a lot of stress that goes along with the flexibility. There's also no guarantee that you will be able to telework, as that decision is dependent on approval from both your supervisor and judge. In fact, some of my colleagues who joined the Board specifically for the flexibility of remote work, ended up unemployed within 10 months of starting their employment at VA because they could not meet the high production quotas and/or sustained mental breakdowns due to the mistreatment.

Also, don’t forget the extreme isolation that comes from teleworking 50 plus hours a week. The only people you can talk to are coworkers you met during your first six months (if they keep their jobs). Most of the people I started with have left by now so it’s an extremely isolating existence. That helps management with their constant gaslighting and abuse since you don’t know what’s going on with most of your colleagues.

+1, so true.

I agree. The Board is truly unique. Many law jobs are bad but not as terrible as the Board. At the Board they thrive on their ability to drive fear of unemployment into your heart. Never before have I been at a place where people constantly talk and worry about being fired. Although I guess its true that everyone has a different experience, everything that everyone has said on here is pretty accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard there is remote work at the Board. That sounds like a great perk. It might be worth the abuse for the flexibility.

I can speak from personal experience that my colleagues and I worry about our jobs on a weekly basis due to the high production quotas and mistreatment/abuse. Sure, you get the flexibility to telework full time, but there's a lot of stress that goes along with the flexibility. There's also no guarantee that you will be able to telework, as that decision is dependent on approval from both your supervisor and judge. In fact, some of my colleagues who joined the Board specifically for the flexibility of remote work, ended up unemployed within 10 months of starting their employment at VA because they could not meet the high production quotas and/or sustained mental breakdowns due to the mistreatment.

Also, don’t forget the extreme isolation that comes from teleworking 50 plus hours a week. The only people you can talk to are coworkers you met during your first six months (if they keep their jobs). Most of the people I started with have left by now so it’s an extremely isolating existence. That helps management with their constant gaslighting and abuse since you don’t know what’s going on with most of your colleagues.

+1, so true.

I agree. The Board is truly unique. Many law jobs are bad but not as terrible as the Board. At the Board they thrive on their ability to drive fear of unemployment into your heart. Never before have I been at a place where people constantly talk and worry about being fired. Although I guess its true that everyone has a different experience, everything that everyone has said on here is pretty accurate.

I think one of the posters on here (the one who has been fired three times) wants to join the Board because she/he wants to be an appellate attorney doing appellate work. I think that individual thinks BVA attorneys work on high level appellate work, akin to DOJ appellate attorneys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard there is remote work at the Board. That sounds like a great perk. It might be worth the abuse for the flexibility.

I can speak from personal experience that my colleagues and I worry about our jobs on a weekly basis due to the high production quotas and mistreatment/abuse. Sure, you get the flexibility to telework full time, but there's a lot of stress that goes along with the flexibility. There's also no guarantee that you will be able to telework, as that decision is dependent on approval from both your supervisor and judge. In fact, some of my colleagues who joined the Board specifically for the flexibility of remote work, ended up unemployed within 10 months of starting their employment at VA because they could not meet the high production quotas and/or sustained mental breakdowns due to the mistreatment.

Also, don’t forget the extreme isolation that comes from teleworking 50 plus hours a week. The only people you can talk to are coworkers you met during your first six months (if they keep their jobs). Most of the people I started with have left by now so it’s an extremely isolating existence. That helps management with their constant gaslighting and abuse since you don’t know what’s going on with most of your colleagues.

+1, so true.

I agree. The Board is truly unique. Many law jobs are bad but not as terrible as the Board. At the Board they thrive on their ability to drive fear of unemployment into your heart. Never before have I been at a place where people constantly talk and worry about being fired. Although I guess its true that everyone has a different experience, everything that everyone has said on here is pretty accurate.

I think one of the posters on here (the one who has been fired three times) wants to join the Board because she/he wants to be an appellate attorney doing appellate work. I think that individual thinks BVA attorneys work on high level appellate work, akin to DOJ appellate attorneys.

That person will be extremely disappointed then. This is anything BUT high level appellate work. There are very few law jobs that are really high level and interesting. This is not one of them. It is a truly awful job substance wise and it is made exponentially worse by the hostile and inhumane management and unrealistic quota.

[Anonymous]

Bump... any interesting news at the Board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that OGC at is not a good place to work, particularly Group VII, which defends the Board’s decisions before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. These are not just rumors. If you take a look on Westlaw, you will see a MSPB case involving the firing of a Group VII attorney. One of the cited reasons for firing this attorney was his alleged failure to meet court deadlines. The attorney brought in several witnesses (former supervisory attorneys) who testified that missing court deadlines is very common due to the heavy workload. Another tidbit, the attorneys there regularly use boilerplate briefs. You won’t be performing high level appellate work as a Group VII attorney.

Of course, OGC at VA is huge so experiences may vary in other groups.

Former Group V attorney and yes that is true about Group VII!

In fairness, Group V didn't have a great reputation either. Unfortunately, most of OGC is sh*t now due to a culture of autocratic leaders that has existed for decades. Most OGC attorneys, if they can get out, do. Those that don't have options (those in field without a significant fed gov presence in their towns) are stuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bump... any interesting news at the Board?

What kind of news are you looking for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bump... any interesting news at the Board?

What kind of news are you looking for?

Something juicy.

[Anonymous]

My fellow BVA colleagues, as we approach the end of the fiscal year, please make sure to maintain your sanity. Remember, there’s a world outside of BVA. Don’t let BVA become your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My fellow BVA colleagues, as we approach the end of the fiscal year, please make sure to maintain your sanity. Remember, there’s a world outside of BVA. Don’t let BVA become your life.

True, but unfortunately, if BVA fires you because you can't meet the ridiculous and absurd quota, or because you can't dedicate the 50 plus hours a week that it takes to meet quota, then most of us cant afford to pay the rent or put food on our tables.

[Anonymous]

Rumor is the quota dropped a little