Congratulations to our own Dennis Carnelli!!

Jason Perry

Jason Perry

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Congratulations, Dennis!!
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Long time members of this forum will remember one of our moderators, @carnelli53 (Dennis Carnelli). Dennis has not posted in a while. However, he has had a good reason for his absence- after his placement on the TDRL and being a moderator here, he went on to law school at Western New England College of Law (as well as starting his family by getting married).

Dennis recently graduated law school, sat for the bar exam, and is currently clerking at the CT Appellate Court!! While in law school, Dennis authored a very thoughtful note on an important issue in military disability cases- Constitutional due process issues in these cases. (The note is available on this site in the Resources section- http://www.pebforum.com/site/resources/administrative-due-process—wounded-warriors-and-due-process-the-cushman-v-shinseki-analogy.26/) I was greatly honored to be quoted in his note (with a citation to a post in this site- see the note on page 193).

Dennis tells me that he has a continued interest in military disability matters and will continue to contribute in the future once he is admitted to practice law.

Please join me in congratulating Dennis on a significant accomplishment!
 
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Congratulations Dennis.

It was also great to see attention brought to "Fit but Unsuitable" on p. 201 & 202.
 
Jason Perry said:
Congratulations, Dennis!!
images

Long time members of this forum will remember one of our moderators, @carnelli53 (Dennis Carnelli). Dennis has not posted in a while. However, he has had a good reason for his absence- after his placement on the TDRL and being a moderator here, he went on to law school at Western New England College of Law (as well as starting his family by getting married).

Dennis recently graduated law school and has passed the bar exam! He is pending admission to the bar, and is currently clerking at the CT Appellate Court. While in law school, Dennis authored a very thoughtful note on an important issue in military disability cases- Constitutional due process issues in these cases. (The note is available on this site in the Resources section- http://www.pebforum.com/site/resources/administrative-due-process—wounded-warriors-and-due-process-the-cushman-v-shinseki-analogy.26/) I was greatly honored to be quoted in his note (with a citation to a post in this site- see the note on page 193).

Dennis tells me that he has a continued interest in military disability matters and will continue to contribute in the future once he is admitted to practice law.

Please join me in congratulating Dennis on a significant accomplishment!
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Congratulation Dennis! Such a wonderful accomplishment and motivation for me as I want to transition into the legal field. Best wishes with your legal endeavors!!
 
Amazing work! Congratulations!!!!
 
Jason Perry said:
Congratulations, Dennis!!
images

Long time members of this forum will remember one of our moderators, @carnelli53 (Dennis Carnelli). Dennis has not posted in a while. However, he has had a good reason for his absence- after his placement on the TDRL and being a moderator here, he went on to law school at Western New England College of Law (as well as starting his family by getting married).

Dennis recently graduated law school and has passed the bar exam! He is pending admission to the bar, and is currently clerking at the CT Appellate Court. While in law school, Dennis authored a very thoughtful note on an important issue in military disability cases- Constitutional due process issues in these cases. (The note is available on this site in the Resources section- http://www.pebforum.com/site/resources/administrative-due-process—wounded-warriors-and-due-process-the-cushman-v-shinseki-analogy.26/) I was greatly honored to be quoted in his note (with a citation to a post in this site- see the note on page 193).

Dennis tells me that he has a continued interest in military disability matters and will continue to contribute in the future once he is admitted to practice law.

Please join me in congratulating Dennis on a significant accomplishment!
Click to expand...


Congratulations, wishing you the absolute best as you continue forward.
 
Very impressed...congrats!
 
Outstanding! Well-deserved Congratulations.
Bob
 
Thank you Jason and everyone for the well wishes and congratulations, it is truly appreciated.

I look forward to actively participating in this forum once again. Barring any bad news on my bar results, I will have the time to give back to this forum in a meaningful way.

Although I have been somewhat removed from the forum during law school, I have never forgotten (nor will I ever forget) the source of my motivation to enter the legal profession - the people I served with, the fellow veterans and servicemembers I have interacted with on this forum, and the blatant injustice experienced everyday by those navigating the disability evaluation system. Jason provided a link to the law review article I authored on due process and military disability. While it is not exciting reading, nor does it impact things in the present, I tried to illustrate one of the root problems, among many others, perpetuating the inequities that are seen everyday on this forum (and probably every hour by Jason), and by those who have experienced, and are currently experiencing, the disability evaluation process.

At the risk of oversimplification, my argument is simple - those adjudicated as unfit for military service deserve more. The military has continually rationalized their disparate treatment of disabled servicemembers with the same erroneous arguments: "the military exists to protect our nation, asking us to take additional steps to ensure fairness in disability adjudications would compromise national security" or "the disability evaluation system is already fair, look at the statutes and regulations - what more can we do to ensure fairness?"

We all know this is hogwash, but in our system of government, simply making that observation doesn't make it so. My article offers one way, admittedly a difficult way, of opening the door to the courts a bit more for disabled servicemembers. At the same time, it offers the judiciary as another source of oversight for military disability evaluations - seeking redress with Congress has proved too timely and inefficient.

That said, I am always available to answer any questions you may have regarding the article or anything else. When I say anything else, I truly mean it. Getting through the disability evaluation system is one thing, but transitioning back to the civilian world is another challenge in itself. As a disabled veteran, there are many benefits - the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation, DVA disability compensation, property tax exemptions, hiring preferences, medical care and insurance, as well as many more - that open up a pandora's box of paperwork and laws that smack of the complexity you experience in the disability evaluation process. This is all, of course, in addition to the emotional and personal challenges that you will experience during your transition.

By virtue of seeking help here, you are only helping yourself in the long run. I will end this post with a simple piece of advice that is oft-repeated on this forum: above all else, be your own advocate. This advice carries over into your transition back to civilian life, where you will truly be on your own - save for the camaraderie seen in places like this forum. The military has taught you to be prepared, while the disability evaluation system will leave you with the desire to be even more prepared - embrace these challenges and learn from them, they will give you the tools you need to carry on.
 
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Way to go Dennis! I'm just starting law school in Philadelphia and will soon be doing pro bono work for service members and veterans. I'm looking forward to reading your article when I get a chance!

Mike
 
Congratulations on such an outstanding accomplishment and I wish much success.
 
Congratulations on getting through Law School! I wish you the best.
 
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