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Joseph Butler - Director/Clinical Professor
Joseph Butler is a Professor of Law at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. His most recent faculty position is Director of the Veterans Legal Support Center and Clinic. In that capacity, Professor Butler supervises law student interns and law student clerks who handle initial inquiries from veterans seeking the benefits to which they are entitled. Professor Butler has also been instrumental in establishing and maintaining a network of pro-bono attorneys who handle veterans benefit cases free of charge.
Students at the Clinic conduct initial intake interviews of veterans seeking assistance and draft a memorandum outlining the relevant legal issues of the case. Professor Butler and the staff at the Clinic then determine whether the case will be handled by the students at the Clinic, or will be referred out to a member of the pro-bono network.
Before being named Director of the Veterans Clinic, Professor Butler was Assistant Director at The John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic. In that capacity, he supervised students who litigated cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, the Cook County Commission on Human Rights and the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations.
Professor Butler has drafted numerous amicus briefs filed in the United States Supreme Court, and various United States appellate courts.
Professor Butler has lectured nationally on fair housing issues. Most recently, he organized a national conference at The John Marshall Law School entitled Fair Housing for Persons with Disabilities: New Challenges Presented by Our Returning Veterans. He has lectured before the International Association of Human Rights Agencies, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's National Fair Housing Policy Training Conferences.
At The John Marshall Law School, Professor Butler has taught courses in Veterans Advocacy, Administrative Law, Legal Writing and Fair Housing.
Professor Butler earned his undergraduate degree at Eastern Illinois University and Juris Doctor Degree at The John Marshall Law School.
Brian Clauss - Executive Director
Brian Clauss is an arbitrator and mediator of labor and employment disputes from Park Ridge, Illinois. As a full-time neutral, he serves on various arbitration and mediation rosters and panels, including the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the American Arbitration Association, the National Mediation Board and the National Railroad Adjustment Board.
Mr. Clauss earned his undergraduate degree from Lake Forest College and his Juris Doctor Degree from The John Marshall Law School. Mr. Clauss began his legal career as a felony prosecutor in Chicago, Illinois, and later defended Cook County, Illinois, in labor and employment matters before beginning a practice as an arbitrator and mediator in 2004.
Mr. Clauss co-authored the chapter entitled Off Duty Conduct for the American Bar Association's forthcoming text: Workplace Violence in the Public Sector. He also co-authored the chapter update entitled Public Employment for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Labor Law Handbook, and has written numerous continuing legal education materials to accompany his frequent presentations. Most recently, Mr. Clauss presented the seminars entitled Employing the Military, for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the Veterans Legal Issues Law Ed Program for The John Marshall Law School and the Illinois State Bar Association.
Mr. Clauss is the author of the article: Called to Duty - Advice for Your Clients for the January 2007 edition of The Young Lawyer, a monthly publication of the American Bar Association. Mr. Clauss also co-authored the feature article for the Fall 2005 edition of the Illinois Public Employment Relations Report entitled Privatization of Public Education Services: The Application of the Doctrine of Successorship in the No Child Left Behind Era. He also wrote Employees Called to Duty in the National Guard and Reserve - an Overview of the Applicable Federal and Illinois Laws, that appeared in the State Universities Civil Service System Quarterly, (Summer 2006). Additionally, Mr. Clauss co-wrote The Public Safety Employee and Employment Litigation: The Effects of Police and Fire Commission Proceedings on the Federal Case for the Illinois State Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Committee monthly update in September 2006 and Employees Called to Military Duty - an Overview of Military Leave and the Service Member's Rights for the Illinois State Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Committee monthly update in December 2006.
Mr. Clauss is a frequent author and lecturer on labor and employment matters and regularly speaks on the local, state, national and international levels. He is currently concentrating his lecturing and writing on the issues confronting activated and returning military personnel, their employers and their unions. He was recently invited to join the National Faculty for Lexis Nexis.
In addition to his other volunteer activities, Mr. Clauss was recently asked to serve as the Executive Director for the Veterans Legal Support Center at the John Marshall Law School. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (Chicago Chapter). He is also a member of the Executive Committee for the Illinois Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve and serves as the Ombudsman Director for Illinois.
Nicholas Henry - Student Co-Founder
Nicholas Henry is one of the three students behind the initiative to start the Veterans Legal Support Center (VLSC) at The John Marshall Law School. Mr. Henry along with the other two students recognized that veterans, both in Illinois and across the nation, were having trouble navigating the labyrinth of the Veterans Administration claims process.
Mr. Henry is a 1st Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and has deployed twice to Iraq with his Marine Corps reserve MP unit out of Dayton, Ohio. While deployed, Mr. Henry served as a fire team leader, a squad leader, a vehicle commander, and a convoy commander. During MP Co C's time in Iraq, Mr. Henry's platoon was responsible for combat patrols and the training of the newly formed Iraqi Security Forces in the Anbar Province. Mr. Henry and his platoon were responsible for over 1,000 trained Iraqi National Guard and Police Officers. Mr. Henry was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his role in developing the training used during the Company's program.
Mr. Henry is currently finishing his third year at The John Marshall Law School. He is also working toward completion of his L.L.M. in International Business and Trade. While at John Marshall, Mr. Henry also served as the commanding officer of his USMC reserve unit and continues in that capacity today.
Michael Barnicle - Student Co-Founder
Michael Barnicle is one of the three students behind the initiative to start the Veterans Legal Support Center (VLSC) at The John Marshall Law School in September 2006. Mr. Barnicle along with the other two students recognized veterans, both in Illinois and across the nation, were having trouble navigating the labyrinth of the Veterans Administration (VA) claims process. Mr. Barnicle's initial interest in veteran advocacy arose from having to walk in front of the Jesse Brown VA Hospital everyday while clerking for the Cook County State's Attorney.
Mr. Barnicle is currently finishing his third year at The John Marshall Law School. At the VLSC, Mr. Barnicle assists with the academic research that drives VA initial claims and appeals as well as initiating new projects for the Clinic to address. Mr. Barnicle serves as the senior law student at the Clinic, assisting the clinical students with their research and drafting assignments. While in law school Mr. Barnicle clerked at the federal, state and local level. Although Mr. Barnicle does not have a military background, he was accepted and will serve in the Army JAG Corps following law school.
Ryan Coward - Student Co-Founder
Ryan Coward is one of the three students behind the initiative to start the Veterans Legal Support Center (VLSC) at The John Marshall Law School in September 2006. Mr. Coward is an alumnus of The John Marshall Law School. Mr. Coward along with the other two students recognized that veterans, both in Illinois and across the nation, were having trouble obtaining the benefits to which they were entitled.
After graduating from The John Marshall Law School Mr. Coward served as the interim-director of the of the VLSC. During this time he helped establish the foundation for the pro-bono network of attorneys dedicated to assisting veterans in obtaining their VA benefits.
Mr. Coward is currently a First Lieutenant in the United States Army JAG Corps. In May 2008, he graduated from The Army Judge Advocate General Legal Center and School's 175th Officer Basic Course. 1LT Coward is currently serving as a Judge Advocate in the 2nd Infantry Division, Korea.
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