--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: PMI U.S. Funding is a "Force Multiplier" for Veterans Legal Aid image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5c8518efe241c8ba/6a4b523478ebb78e47709a5b/u3342316975_smooth_image_-ar_32_-v_7_6f5184ef-925a-49f6-8554-4bd04a16c896.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- # PMI U.S. Funding is a "Force Multiplier" for Veterans Legal Aid  Corporate philanthropy is now a necessity, not a choice. With consumers and investors expecting meaningful impact, Philip Morris International’s U.S. businesses (PMI U.S.) are rising to the challenge. "Our mission goes beyond business. We're committed to investing in communities where we live and operate," says JB Simko, VP, Chief Civil Society & Underage Prevention Officer at PMI U.S. Through its focus on Military and Veterans, Economic Empowerment, and Disaster Preparation and Response, the company is backing its values with action: in 2024 alone, PMI U.S. donated over $10 million to 327 organizations across 35 states. In tandem, PMI U.S. published Serving Those Who Served, a white paper based on a national listening tour to better understand veterans' needs. The findings were clear: Veterans need more personalized support, clearer guidance through the benefits system, and expanded access to pro bono legal services. "We recognized that Veterans pro bono legal clinics provide exactly that type of support, so we decided to explore potential relationships in this area," explained Simko. One such successful example is with a clinic led by Professor Judy Ann Clausen, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. There, her students help veterans appeal denied benefits, upgrade discharges, and resolve legal issues ranging from VA claims to housing and criminal records. Thanks to PMI U.S. funding, the clinic has grown its reach to transform the lives of veterans and their families, as well as the students who serve them. We spoke with Professor Clausen about how this partnership works, and why it's making such a difference. ## More Capacity, More Impact Before PMI U.S. stepped in, the clinic was a one-woman show. "It was just me," said Clausen. "I was teaching the class, supervising the students, and really needed help with the legal administrative work." With limited time and resources, she could only take on nine students and a few clients per semester. Thankfully, that changed with funding from PMI U.S. Clausen hired an administrative assistant who handles filings, court submissions, and student onboarding, freeing up Clausen to focus more intensively on her clients and their cases. She can now supervise 12 students each semester, take on more clients at once, and stay with them through the lengthy and complicated appeals process – staying with the clients for their remands from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Importantly, the clinic has the means to build stronger cases. Students spend more time developing lay evidence and securing and funding medical expert opinions. "We're able to stick with clients until they actually get access to their benefits," Clausen explained. "That's the real difference." --- > “We’re able to stick with clients until they actually get access to their benefits...That's the real difference.” Professor Judy Ann Clausen—the University of Florida Levin College of Law. --- ## Real-Life Impact One of Clausen's proudest wins was on behalf of a Vietnam-era veteran suffering from Parkinson's and diabetes related to Agent Orange exposure. But because his service fell just outside the VA's eligibility window for presumptive service connection, his claim was initially denied despite debilitating illness and financial hardship. "They were driven into poverty," Clausen recounted. "His wife ended up losing her job because she had to care for him full time." But thanks to the PMI U.S. funding, Clausen's team could hire two medical experts and submit three different reports with in-depth scientific research – to prove his life-threatening conditions were directly connected to chemical exposure during his service. The veteran received over $600,000 in retroactive compensation, and full disability benefits. "Now, they're able to live out his final years with dignity. But without PMI's support, we never could have stuck with that case," Clausen said. "We just wouldn't have had the resources to keep fighting." ## Policy Advocacy & Systemic Change Since receiving PMI U.S. funding, Clausen's students have participated in the Policy Advocacy Committee and Amicus Advocacy Committee of the National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium, drafting award-winning briefs before the Federal Circuit and SCOTUS designed to help improve the system for all. They also wrote petitions for VA rulemaking for the Policy Advocacy Committee and commented on proposed legislation and VA rules. Clausen aims to have students work on at least one of these projects each semester because it not only improves the system at large, but equips students with hands-on experience in legislative and policy advocacy – important to a legal career. ## A “Force Multiplier” When asked why it's significant for companies to invest in grassroots legal efforts, Clausen was clear. "Without this kind of private funding, many veterans would never access their benefits." Veteran Service Officers, while dedicated, have large caseloads, and veterans need lawyers for their Veterans Court cases – which means clinics like Clausen's fill a critical gap. Cases are complicated and require nuanced legal research and analysis. "You really need lawyers once \[they\] reach the courts. Law students and law professors are so well-suited to this, and that's our focus," Clausen said. What's more, "the funding is a force multiplier," she described. "Crucially, \[it\] enables the clinic to expose more law students to pro-bono work for veterans and service members. Funding relieved my administrative burden; I can teach more students and help them provide essential things like Know Your Rights presentations to veterans struggling with homelessness." The ripple effect is deep. "Many students and interns graduate to become legal aid attorneys, VA attorneys, judge advocates, and private law firm attorneys representing veterans on a pro bono basis," Clausen noted. "Even if they don't work in veterans' law immediately, they come out passionate about serving this population."  ## ## Eyes on the Future Clausen sees much potential ahead with the backing of PMI U.S. Inspired by sister clinics, she wants to implement pop-up services in rural areas of Gainesville, FL., to reach veterans currently without access to legal assistance. Her students also contributed to an online resource manual for veterans and their families, to clarify issues and provide resources for things like financial assistance – a project done in collaboration with local legal aid, state and federal attorneys in the Working Group for the Middle District of Florida. The PMI U.S. funding allows Clausen to dig deeper into these projects and expose more students to work that makes a real difference. Clausen also hopes to support veteran entrepreneurs, a group that starts businesses at high rates. Possibly through collaborating with other organizations or UF's Warrington School of Business and its Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, she would like to explore providing guidance on everything from business formation to securing veteran-specific loans. ## A Lasting Legacy The partnership between PMI U.S. and law school clinics like Clausen's isn't just a philanthropic gesture. It's a powerful model for lasting impact. "This grant gave us time, tools, and staying power," Clausen said. "It allowed us to be there for our clients when it mattered most." For Clausen, the real reward is outcomes. "Seeing a war veteran who was poisoned by Agent Orange and had no access to benefits finally get what he deserves…That's what matters most." Simko added, “We believe in 'pragmatic philanthropy,' which makes a meaningful difference and really integrates PMI U.S. as a force for good, into the communities where we live and work.” This approach means PMI U.S. can help turn individual victories into systemic change – one case, one veteran, one student at a time. Because when a veteran finally hears, "your benefits have been approved," it's not just a legal victory. It's justice.  [Learn more](https://www.pmi.com/us/corporate-citizenship-and-news) PMI U.S. Funding is a "Force Multiplier" for Veterans Legal Aid ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/philip-morris-international-us/pmi-us-funding-is-a-force-multiplier-for-veterans-legal-aid/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/philip-morris-international-us/pmi-us-funding-is-a-force-multiplier-for-veterans-legal-aid/"},"headline":"PMI U.S. Funding is a \"Force Multiplier\" for Veterans Legal Aid","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:38.823Z","dateModified":"2026-06-02T20:11:07.902Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/philip-morris-international-us/pmi-us-funding-is-a-force-multiplier-for-veterans-legal-aid/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/philip-morris-international-us/pmi-us-funding-is-a-force-multiplier-for-veterans-legal-aid/","name":"PMI U.S. Funding is a \"Force Multiplier\" for Veterans Legal Aid"}}]}] ```