Peabody & Arnold LLP partner Harvey Weiner was reappointed for the fifth year as National Judge Advocate of the Jewish War Veterans of America, the nation’s oldest active veteran’s organization.  Among his duties are the initiation and supervision of litigation around the nation which affects veterans or which involves constitutional issues, usually dealing with separation of church and state.  Recently, he successfully intervened in a New Jersey matter involving a war memorial cross on public property.  It is unconstitutional for war memorial crosses to be erected on public lands.  Upon being apprised of the legal issues, the municipality removed the cross.  He also supervised the litigation in Helman v. Department of Veterans Affairs, wherein a Veterans Administration employee was fired for criminal activity for which she was ultimately convicted.  She tried to contest her lack of appeal rights relative to her termination.  This case involved the appointments clause of the U.S. Constitution and was decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on May 9, 2017.