Conley F. Monk, Jr. will receive the Citizen for the Law Award at the CBA’s annual awards celebration, Celebrate with the Stars, on Thursday, April 8 for his significant contributions to the legal area as a non-legal professional. He has dedicated his life to supporting veterans in Connecticut and fighting for veteran benefits. He is the co-founder and director of the non-profit, National Veterans Council for Legal Redress (NVCLR), which actively supports veteran causes.
At age 20, he voluntarily enlisted in the US Marines and served in the Vietnam War. Upon discharge, he was given “bad papers,” which prevented him from finding employment and receiving the educational or medical benefits he was entitled to. This began his 45-year fight to remove the stigma of “bad papers” and ensure every combat veteran receives the benefits they deserve. Monk was a plaintiff in Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic and Vietnam Veterans of America’s class-action lawsuit, Mabus V. Monk, in which relief was sought for tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans who developed PTSD during their military service and subsequently received less than honorable discharges. This case led him to take part in multiple nationwide class-action lawsuits, press conferences, and TV appearances, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Six years ago, Monk’s own discharge status was upgraded to honorable. He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Rifle Marksman Badge
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