Zachary M. Stolz

Zach received his B.A. from Rockhurst University in 2002 and received his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 2005.  Prior to joining CCK, Zach worked in the Judicial Appeals office of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) from 2005 until 2007. He primarily handles appeals and arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA). He has participated in thousands of veterans’ cases to date.

Zach is a past President of the Court of Veterans Appeals for Veterans Claims Bar Association and formerly served on the Board of Governors.  He is a previous member of the Board of Directors for the National Organization for Veterans Advocates (NOVA) and is a former Vice-Chair of the Federal Circuit Bar Association’s Veterans Appeals Committee.  Zach also serves as a court-appointed member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Judicial Advisory Committee.

Zach was involved in establishing a partnership between DAV, CCK, and the Harvard Law School to provide representation to veterans at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.  Through this collaboration, Harvard law students represent veterans, free of charge, before the Court. The partnership’s efforts have led to successful outcomes in over ten appellate cases to date including a precedential decision in Ausmer v. Shinseki.  That case was argued by Harvard law students in a special session with the Court.  It was hosted by Harvard and held at the law school campus.  The case established important rights for veterans deployed overseas during times of war.

Zach is a nationally recognized expert in the area of veterans law and has lectured extensively throughout the country at bar association events and seminars.  He has also lectured at the University of Virginia Law School, the George Washington University Law School, and the Harvard Law School. Zach has argued many precedential veterans court cases both in Washington, D.C. and at various law schools including Yale and Stanford. In 2022, Zach was granted NOVA’s Kenneth M. Carpenter Award for Excellence.  In 2024, he was granted the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Hart T. Mankin Distinguished Service Award.

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia
• State of Rhode Island
• U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
• United States Supreme Court

Representative Cases

• Wood v. Peake , 520 F.3d 1345 (Fed. Cir. 2008)
• Jandreau v. Nicholson, 492 F.3d 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2007)
• Young v. Shinseki, 25 Vet.App. 201 (2012)
• AZ v. Shinseki, 731 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2013)
• Doucette v. McDonald (recently argued)

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Court of Veterans Appeals for Veterans Claims Bar Association, Past President
• Board of Governors, Former Member
• NOVA, Board of Directors Member
• Federal Circuit Bar Association’s Veterans Appeals Committee, Former Vice-Chair
• U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Judicial Advisory Committee, Member