Joseph Scott, Attorney
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Accreditation Number: 50567
Valparaiso, J.D., 2017
St. Joseph’s, B.A. International Studies, 2014
Joe was in law school when he first became interested in veterans law.
He remembers one of his professors talking about how lawyers could help people and he mentioned that one group they could help is veterans. He later interned at a veterans clinic in Chicago.
Favorite TV shows
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Office
Favorite bands
Disturbed, The Doors, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin
Favorite activities
Running and walking his dogs with his wife, who is also an attorney.
His interest in helping people, though, goes back to his childhood.
“I grew up in a public service-oriented household,” he said. “My dad was a police officer. My mom was a nurse. They both teach at colleges now. I always grew up wanting to do something for others.”
The draw to public service guided him in his decision about what to do after law school.
“How can I actually make a difference?” he asked himself. “Not changing the whole world but changing somebody’s world.”
Joe worked as an attorney at the Vietnam Veterans of America from 2018 to 2020, where he once helped a veteran replace his pre-Vietnam era tractor using an independent living grant.
He joined Wood and Woods in 2020, where he now exclusively works with a team of case managers on disability benefits cases.
Advice from the attorney
Joe said he knows the VA claims and appeals processes are frustratingly slow, but when veterans hire an attorney, they should not be tempted to ignore their advice.
“If you want an attorney to represent you, listen to what they say.”
He said it often takes a series of wins and losses to get the veterans the benefits they have earned.
“Acknowledge that sometimes you have to bat singles,” he said. “You have to follow the process step by step by step. You can’t do everything at once.”
