Build a Board Appeal lane timeline from the published goals
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- Set out the three lanes, what evidence each allows, and the decision goal the page states for that lane. Label each goal as a goal.
- What the lawyer must review
- VA.gov: Direct Review uses only the evidence already in the case, with no new evidence and no hearing, and the Board's goal is a decision within 365 days. Evidence Submission considers new evidence with the existing evidence. New evidence must be submitted with the Board Appeal or within 90 days of the date VA receives the request, and the goal is 550 days. A Hearing allows new evidence at the hearing or within 90 days after it, and the goal is 730 days. The page calls these goals. You do not tell the client that a decision will issue in that time. You choose the lane. The page says a Board Appeal request is made within 1 year of the decision on an initial claim, a Supplemental Claim or a Higher-Level Review, running from the date on the decision letter, and that a contested claim is requested within 60 days of the date on the decision letter. A contested claim is one in which the person and someone else claim a benefit that only one person can receive. The page also says the person cannot request two Board Appeals in a row for the same claim. Do not treat the contested-claim sentence as permission to file a second Board Appeal. You check the letter.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Do not begin AI assistance until the responsible lawyer has defined and confirmed its permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Verify dates, people and sequence against contemporaneous records. Preserve uncertainty and identify gaps or conflicting accounts.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.