U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims CAVC

For most of the twentieth century, veterans denied benefits by the Veterans Administration had no right to go to court. The Veterans' Judicial Review Act of 1988 ended that, creating the Court of Veterans Appeals, which began hearing cases in 1989 and was renamed in 1999. It is an Article I court whose judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for fifteen-year terms. It has seven permanent judgeships, and Congress has temporarily authorized more to handle rising caseloads.

The court reviews final decisions of the Board of Veterans' Appeals, the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs that hears appeals of benefit denials, on issues such as disability ratings, service connection, pensions, and survivors' benefits. Only veterans and their survivors can appeal, and the government cannot appeal a Board decision favorable to the veteran. The court does not hold trials or take new evidence, but it can reverse, affirm, or send cases back to the Board.

Its caseload grew substantially after the 2022 PACT Act expanded benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances such as burn pits and Agent Orange, adding to millions of claims flowing through the VA system. The court's legal rulings on how the VA must interpret the law are binding on the agency, and its decisions can be appealed to the Federal Circuit on questions of law.