11/10/2025

Anita Hopes still remembers the sound of firecrackers on the Fourth of July—the way her husband would flinch, be agitated, and sometimes flee. A Vietnam Veteran, he returned home with post-traumatic stress disorder and 50% hearing loss, haunted by memories of combat and the effects of Agent Orange.

Albert Hopes Jr.

“He truly thought he was in Vietnam,” Hopes recalled. “It was terrifying.”

With two young children at home, Hopes navigated years of unpredictable episodes, triggered by loud noises or sudden movements.

“Watching him go through that was so hard,” she said. “He’d snap back, and he’d be worried he’d hurt someone.” 

The family prayed, sought counseling, learned about triggers, and tried to build a life around the trauma, as the war continued to follow them.

Despite his service and suffering, Hopes’ husband, Albert Hopes Jr., faced years of bureaucratic hurdles with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA. After his death from brain tumors linked to Agent Orange exposure, Hopes applied for a widow’s claim. Initially granted, it was later denied—he hadn’t met the VA’s 10-year threshold for 100% disability.

“They claimed his injuries weren’t service connected,” Hopes said. “It was devastating.”

She sought help from multiple organizations, including the Disabled American Veterans and Vietnam Veterans of America, but each effort ended in disappointment.

“This all wasted years,” Hopes said. “At that point I thought, ‘I’m just going to forget it. It’s not worth it.’” 

Her mother urged her to keep going. “We are going to pray and you’re going to stay,” she told Hopes. “He went through too much to give up.”

That’s when Hopes found the Veterans Law Clinic, or VLC, at Widener Delaware Law School. Founded in 1997, the VLC provides free legal representation to low-income and disabled veterans and their dependents in appealing adverse VA decisions. The clinic’s model pairs real clients, like Hopes, with Delaware Law students and attorneys, offering hands-on experience that delivers critical legal aid to veterans. 

“The VA appeals process is incredibly complicated and confusing. Many claims are wrongfully denied, but without an experienced advocate, veterans often throw in the towel or simply lack the knowledge needed to navigate the system,” said Jennifer Morrell. Morrell, associate professor of law, is the current clinic director who personally worked on Hopes’ case when she first turned to the clinic.

“They told me these fights could take a while. But I told them, ‘My husband fought until the end, so I am going to also’,” said Hopes.

For Hopes, the students became more than advocates. They became a lifeline.

“I worked with so many different students. Veterans and their families just get so tired of fighting. Knowing someone is in your corner makes all the difference in the world,” Hopes said. 

Anita Hopes

Each time Hopes and the VLC team thought they had met the VA’s requirements, a new obstacle emerged: missing forms, lost records, shifting rulings. But the clinic never gave up.

“They’d dig for hours to try and help me,” Hopes said. “They told me, ‘If you’re willing to wait, we will too.’”

In 2020, Hopes received the letter she had waited 26 years to see. The VA approved her claim and acknowledged a “clear and unmistakable error” in her husband’s case, granting her petition!

“We all cried,” Hopes said. “This was the end of a long period and we released that emotion. It kind of put a meaning with the pain. This was a blessing.”

For Widener’s Veterans Law Clinic, Hopes’ story is one of many and a testament to the power of persistence and the importance of advocacy.

“As the director of the clinic, my hope is that we are not only helping local veterans live with the dignity of receiving the benefits they deserve, but also teaching our students to be compassionate, competent attorneys with a zeal for assisting our underserved communities,” said Morrell.

“Widener doesn’t give up,” Hopes said. “I love every one of them.”

Learn more about the Veterans Law Clinic at Delaware Law School.