Advocates

Tom Strong

Tom Strong graduated with a bachelor’s and law degree from Arizona State University and a master’s from Georgetown Law. Before VetLAG, he clerked at the U.S. Senate, externed at a state appellate court, and associated at a large law firm. He is a VA-accredited attorney admitted to practice at the Veterans Court and the Federal Circuit. He lives with his wife Ivy and their twin girls Anna and Emma outside of Annapolis, where he likes to golf, boat, and hike.

Harold Hoffman

After serving in the Marines, Harold Hoffman graduated from the University of Washington and Georgetown Law. During law school, he clerked at a veterans’ law firm, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Since, he has counseled veterans in 600 appeals before the VA, Veterans Court, the Federal Circuit, and the Supreme Court.

REPRESENTATIVE BRIEFS:

Motion for Reconsideration (Veterans Court)

Petition for Extraordinary Relief (Veterans Court)

Opening Brief (Federal Circuit)

Opening Brief II (Federal Circuit)

Amicus Brief (Supreme Court)

Megan Hoffman

Megan Hoffman graduated in 2008 from Georgetown Law. She worked as an associate at Thacher Proffitt & Wood before serving for more than five years as a Judge Advocate General and Area Defense Counsel in the U.S. Air Force. She then served as a trial attorney for the tax division at the U.S. Department of Justice before joining VetLAG. She was admitted in 2014 to practice at the Veterans Court. She has been a U.S. Air Force reservist since 2015. Since 2017 she has been assigned to the Appellate Defense Division, bringing appeals before the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Max Farris

Max Farris earned his undergraduate degree and graduated in 2008 from Georgetown Law after his enlistment in the Navy. Earlier, he worked at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight’s Office of Enforcement and then at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Center. From 2015 to 2019, Mr. Farris served as in-house counsel to a four-hospital system in Southwest Georgia. Since 2019, he has practiced in veterans’ law.

Jennifer Healy

Jennifer Healy graduated from the United States Air Force Academy. She served as an intelligence officer in the U. S. Air Force for more than eleven years and earned a Master’s degree in National Security. After leaving active duty, Ms. Healy earned her law degree in 2011 from the George Washington University Law School. During law school, she clerked for the U. S. Air Force Office of General Counsel. After law school, Ms. Healy served four years as a judicial law clerk at the Veterans Court. She began working at VetLAG in September 2021.

Clare Malinowski

Clare received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Northwestern University. She has practiced law with the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia and has worked as a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for the Marine Corps. She is a member of the DC and Virginia bars. She lives in Okinawa, Japan, with her spouse and two children.

Michael DiLernia

In 2009, Michael J. DiLernia co-founded VetLAG with Jim Harper and Harold Hoffman III. He is a graduate of St. John’s University and Georgetown University Law Center. A native of Queens, New York, Mike has a decades-long interest in veterans law and worked at a veterans law non-profit organization during law school. He is a partner with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in New York City. 

Tonio DeSorrento

Tonio DeSorrento is Co-Founder & CEO of GovPort, subcontractor management software for federal government contractors. Previously, Tonio has held executive roles at high-growth technology companies, including Vemo Education, which he co-founded, and SoFi. He is a former venture partner with Learn Capital and former adjunct professor of law at Georgetown Law. Tonio started his career in the U.S Marine Corps, where he served as a field artillery officer with 5th Battalion, 10th Marines. Tonio is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Georgetown Law. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and six children.

Jim Harper

In 2009, Jim Harper co-founded VetLAG with Michael DiLernia and Harold Hoffman, III. He practices criminal defense and civil litigation. Before entering private practice, Jim served as a federal district court law clerk and a staff attorney for the Orleans Public Defenders. He is a graduate of Indiana University and received his law degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. He is proud to serve on the board of VetLAG and is passionate about ensuring that every VetLAG client receives the highest quality legal representation.