Monday, May 16, 2011

Backlog at Veterans Court

Full article at: Huge backlog of cases strains federal 'Veterans Court'

By Jerry Markon
The Washington Post

"The caseload at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has doubled in recent years, with more than 600 cases per judge decided each year — far more than other federal appellate courts. Judges are working nights and weekends but say they still have difficulty keeping pace."


"At least part of the blame, say advocates for the nation's 23 million veterans, rests with the Obama administration, which has made veterans a priority yet has not submitted nominations to fill the court's bench, where three of nine seats are vacant. "I'm hugely disappointed," said Glenn Bergmann, president of the bar association that represents veterans before the court. "It's not like we're trying to put someone on the Supreme Court," he said."