About Catherine
Catherine Cornell blends legal training and journalism study in a career that has centered on veterans’ benefits work. She earned a Juris Doctor from Indiana University School of Law–Bloomington in 2002 and holds a Master of Arts from the University of Missouri–Columbia School of Journalism. Those two strands—law and communication—have shaped how she approaches claims and appeals.
Cornell began her legal career in Chicago at The Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. She worked there in 2002, representing clients with civil legal needs and learning courtroom procedure and client advocacy on cases that often involved limited resources and tight deadlines. The hands-on experience at a public-interest legal services organization set the tone for her later practice.
By 2009 she had moved into veterans law, joining Rabin & Associates as a veterans benefits lawyer. She spent those years handling benefit claims, preparing appeals, and advising veterans and their families about entitlement issues. In 2011 she joined The Veterans Practice, Ltd., where she continued that line of work. Over time her caseload has included administrative appeals before the Department of Veterans Affairs and matters that required federal filings.
Cornell holds accreditation from the Department of Veterans Affairs and is admitted to practice in Illinois. She is also admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Those admissions allow her to move cases through agency and federal court levels when necessary. She serves on the board of the Veterans Legal Aid Society and maintains a sustaining membership in the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates. Those roles keep her engaged with national trends in veterans benefits law and with practitioners handling similar matters.
Her approach to cases favors clear communication and procedural care. Her journalism training informs how she prepares narratives for claims and briefs for appeal. She handles the paperwork veterans and survivors often find daunting and manages deadlines that are critical in benefit disputes. She currently practices at The Veterans Practice, Ltd., providing representation to veterans, dependents, and survivors on benefits claims and appeals.
