Published Work and Articles
Opinion Contributions – The Hill
- Democrats offer double-talk on Veterans Affairs , The Hill (December 2, 2016)
In a recent article, Democrat Terron Sims II argues that Republican Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), the current Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is a poor choice for VA Secretary because he is not a veteran.
- VA Nominee Shulkin: A Stone of Hope for a Department in Despair, The Hill (January 20, 2017)
Somewhere between honoring the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration of our 45th president, the future of the Department of Veterans Affairs is waiting to emerge…
- Don’t doubt Trump when it comes to the VA, The Hill (January 31, 2017)
Many Americans were surprised that, in his first week in office, President Trump has done exactly what he said he would do, from negotiating a wall on the Mexican border…
- Can the Next VA Leader Break the Cycle of Corruption? (February 13, 2017)
Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees have not had an easy go of things thus far.
Betsy DeVos, now secretary of the Department for Education, required Vice President Pence to cast a deciding tie vote for her nomination…
- Bureaucrats have the Upper Hand and Vets are the Ones who Continue to Lose (February 24, 2017)
The old adage money talks certainly rings true in Washington. On capitol hill, money does more than just talk, it lobbies, and when it lobbies, Congress listens. As early as the 1980’s, members of Congress started to complain…
Law Review Articles:
- Riley, Rory E. (with James D. Ridgway and Barton F. Stichman). “Not Reasonably Debatable”: The Problems with Single-Judge Decisions at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims , 27 Stanford Law & Policy Review (forthcoming 2016).
- Riley, Rory E.- ““Simplify, Simplify, Simplify – An Analysis of Two Decades of Judicial Review in the Veterans Benefits Adjudication System”, 113 W. Va. L. Rev. 67 (2010), (First Place, 2009 Paralyzed Veterans of American National Legal Writing Contest).
- Riley, Rory E- “The Importance of Preserving the Pro-Claimant Policy Underlying the Veterans’ Benefits Scheme”: A Comparative Analysis of the Administrative Structure of the Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Benefits System, 2 Veterans L. Rev. 77 (2010).
- Riley, Rory E. “From Closet to Courtroom: Asylum As A Judicial Step Towards Full Equality Between Sexual Orientations.” 15 Rich. J. Law and Pub. Int. 403 (2011).
- Riley, Rory E.- “Preservation, Modification or Transformation? The Current State of the Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Benefits Adjudication Process and Why Congress Should Modify, Rather than Maintain or Completely Redesign the Current System”. 18 Fed. Cir. B.J. 1 (2008) (Lead Article) (First Place, 2008 Paralyzed Veterans of America National Legal Writing Contest).
Additional OpEds :
- “VA Needs Atlanta-like Treatment”. –The Charlotte Observer
- Former congressional staffer: VA makes excuses, not reform.
My Turn: If the VA wanted true change, its leaders would tackle the tough questions rather than deflect with excuses. –AZ Central The Arizona Republic - Restoring VA’s mission-The Hill
- “Lead Letter: Provide better incentives to hire veterans” –The Florida Times Union jacksonville.com
More About Rory Riley-Topping :
- The Agent Orange widows club – Raw Story
- ProPublica, Virginian-Pilot forum asks: Has Agent Orange hurt the children of Vietnam vets? – The Virginia Pilot
- The Vietnam Veterans Proving They Should Receive Agent Orange Benefits – Pacific Standard
- Ailing Vietnam Vets Hunt Through Ships’ Logs to Prove They Should Get Benefits – Pro Publica
- First Person: Rory E. Riley, Washington, Special Olympics Gymnastics Coach –The Washington Post
- Hill Climbers: Staffer Branches Out –Roll Call
- Rory Riley Olympic Star –The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful
- Rory E. Riley ’07
VA Attorney Wins National Contestby: Christine Pakkala –Qu Law Almuni
- Blumenthal Visits Veterans Event –Qu Law Almuni