United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is a federal appellate court which has exclusive national jurisdiction to review decisions of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA).
The Court was created under Article I of the Constitution by the Veterans’ Judicial Review Act of 1988, specifically Title 38, Chapter 72 of the United States Code. The Court is not part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). It does not hold trials, receive evidence, or hear witnesses; rather, it reviews the written record of a final BVA decision, reviews the parties’ briefs, and affirms or reverses the decision of the BVA. There are seven judges on the Court, who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
[Last updated in December of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]