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Williams v. Principi

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
275 F.3d 1361 (2002)

Written by Carolyn Strutton, JD

Facts

Luther Williams, Jr. (plaintiff) was a veteran who sought benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) (defendant) under numerous theories of entitlement. In 2000, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (the board) denied a number of Williams’s claims, and Williams appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (the veterans court). The veterans court vacated the board’s decision and remanded all of the claims back to the board for further development, in light of a recently passed law that had retrospective, pro-claimant provisions. Williams appealed the veterans court’s remand to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (the federal circuit), alleging that the veterans court should have decided his claims on the merits without remand. The VA filed a motion to dismiss the appeal.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Dyk, J.)

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A "yes" or "no" answer to the question framed in the issue section;
A summary of the majority or plurality opinion, using the CREAC method; and
The procedural disposition (e.g., reversed and remanded, affirmed, etc.).

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