On June 12, the United States Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision in the case of Soto v. United States, marking a pivotal moment for U.S. combat veterans seeking disability compensation. The ruling, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, determined that the six-year statute of limitations under the Barring Act does not apply to claims for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC). The Court found that the CRSC statute includes its own settlement mechanism and is therefore exempt from these limitations.
Seth M. Owens, a veterans health and disability law fellow at Syracuse University College of Law’s Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic (VLC), played a significant role in this outcome alongside several VLC students and other schools. The National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium submitted an Amicus Curiae brief supporting Veteran Soto’s position and advocating for all combat veterans eligible for special compensation under the CRSC statute.
Counsel for the brief included Katie M. Becker from the University of Missouri Veterans Legal Clinic, Meghan E. Brooks from the University of South Carolina Veterans Legal Clinic, and Owens himself. “Credit is due to the teams of students from three different law schools who each took a role in preparing this brief,” said Owens. He emphasized the importance of student involvement in advocacy efforts that have real-world impacts on a large scale.
For further information, media inquiries can be directed to Vanessa Marquette at vrmarque@syr.edu.
