Pro Bono Profile: Principal Jack Wilson – From the Army to the Appeals Court

Principal Jack Wilson wore the uniform before he wore a suit. Today, the Fish & Richardson principal channels that experience into a pro bono practice with high stakes: advocating for veterans and their families who have spent months — sometimes years — navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system and fighting to receive the benefits they earned.  

Through the firm’s longstanding partnership with The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program (TVC), Wilson takes on (and now supervises) appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He sat down to talk about why the work matters, what it takes, and why he keeps coming back to it.

Q: What type of pro bono cases do you handle and why?

A: I work on veterans’ benefits appeals, through our pro bono partner, TVC. The “why” is personal. I served in the Army before law school, so I’ve seen up close to what servicemembers and their families sacrifice. I always knew I wanted to keep serving them once I became a lawyer, and these cases let me stay connected to the veteran community and make sure people receive the benefits they have fairly earned.

Q: How did you first get involved with TVC?

A: It started in law school. At William & Mary Law School, I worked on veterans’ benefits cases through the Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic. When I arrived at Fish as a summer associate, I learned the firm had an established partnership with TVC and attorneys were actively taking cases, and that was a real draw.

At Fish, attorneys are encouraged to do the pro bono work they care about. With that in mind, I completed TVC’s training, started partnering with others to take cases, and as I progressed, I moved into a supervisory role that allowed me to oversee multiple matters, put my institutional knowledge to work, and widen the impact of the firm’s work with veterans.

Q: Can you describe the nature of these cases?

A: Most cases are appeals of decisions from the Bureau of Veterans Affairs (BVA), heard by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. By the time a case reaches us, a veteran has often spent months — or years — inside the VA system. It can often feel like a maze of administrative processes, resulting in decisions that are delayed or incorrect because the law has changed, the law was misapplied, or the evidence was misunderstood.

Our job is to step in at that point. We start digging through the record — which is sometimes thousands of pages — before the BVA, find the legal or factual error, and advocate for the right result. Often that means winning a remand, which sends the claim back to the BVA with instructions about the correct legal standards or with specific direction on the medical evidence needed to fully develop the claim.

Q: Can you share an example of a case that was particularly meaningful?

A: One particular case was especially meaningful. A veteran sadly died before his benefits were ever fully resolved, and his widow stepped in to keep fighting for what she was owed as a surviving spouse. We dug into the record and found the BVA had evaluated her claim under the wrong legal standard when it denied her claim. The government pushed back at first, but after reading our brief, it agreed to a joint remand so the claim could be reconsidered under the correct framework.

That’s an example of the system working the right way. And it was a reminder that the promises we make to veterans extend beyond the veteran and their service. That case echoes President Lincoln’s charge to all Americans: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.”

Q: What unexpected benefits have you gained from this work?

A: The professional development that results from pro bono work is significant. At every stage of your career, these cases help you sharpen the fundamentals. For me, that means appellate writing, legal analysis, and case management. All three feed right back into my patent litigation practice.

Q: How does this work benefit junior attorneys?

A: These matters are handled with a lean team, usually one associate and one principal. That structure gives associates tangible responsibility from the outset. They build the theory of the case and own the client relationship. Associates are not just supporting the case; they are actively shaping it. It is a great way to build confidence and develop a strong sense of ownership early in your career.

Q: How has pro bono work contributed to your professional and personal fulfillment?

A: Pro bono work gives you perspective. We are fortunate to have access to the resources and opportunities that come with working at Fish, and pro bono service is a way to point those resources to help people who need it.

For me, it is also personal. This work ties directly back to my own time in the Army and my family’s long history of military service. Being able to show up for veterans and their families in a concrete way means a lot to me.  

Q: What advice would you give to attorneys interested in getting involved?

A: You are not alone. TVC provides excellent training, mentorship, and ongoing support as co-counsel, so you always have support.  

For pro bono work as a whole, I would encourage attorneys to pursue work in an area they care about. That’s what makes it sustainable alongside a full commercial practice. And talk about it. Hearing that a colleague is doing work that matters to them is often the only nudge someone needs to start.  

TVC is a nonprofit organization that provides pro bono legal representation to veterans and their families navigating the VA appeals process, along with other services. Fish’s partnership with TVC began in 2008 and has included collaboration on more than 35 cases. The firm donates attorneys’ fees awarded by the VA in successful cases to TVC, further supporting its mission. Through this partnership, Fish attorneys receive training and co-counsel support while helping expand access to legal representation for veterans seeking earned benefits.