The Board has determined that the Veteran's request for vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits, including pursuit of a Juris Doctor (J.D.), is not supported by evidence in his file. The AOJ must ensure all relevant documents are obtained and associated with the claims file, obtain any outstanding VA treatment records, and contact the Veteran to gather additional information regarding his attempts at employment. A vocational rehabilitation evaluation should then be conducted to determine if the Veteran's proposed change of goal is feasible.
The deciding factor: The current evidence does not support the Veteran's request for a J.D., as it was not included in his IWRP and there are no updated assessments considering his current service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, left ankle strain with gastroc/soleus ankle equinus, right ankle strain with gastroc/soleus ankle equinus, left hip lateral coxa saltans with limitation in flexion and extension, impairment of the thigh, right hip lateral coxa saltans with limitation in flexion and extension, impairment of the thigh, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19187578
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,890 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19187578.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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