OUR MISSION

Elrod Legal exists for one purpose: to help Veterans secure the disability benefits they earned through service. Our practice is built on real, inside-the-system experience with both the VA and the DoD disability process—experience that helps us identify where cases go wrong and how to fight back.

HISTORY

Elrod Legal was founded in 2011 in Southeast Texas. After serving as a Judge Advocate in the Army Reserve, Cullen Elrod temporarily closed the firm in 2013 to mobilize to Fort Carson, Colorado, where he was assigned as a Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) Attorney. In that role, he represented injured Soldiers navigating disability evaluations and separation decisions.

Following that assignment, he accepted a civilian position at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) as a Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) Attorney, advocating for Soldiers at formal PEB hearings. These roles provided an inside view of how disability cases are evaluated—and how often the severity of conditions is understated. Cullen saw case after case where incorrect ratings and flawed decision-making led to serious consequences, including medical separations with severance pay instead of medical retirement and lifetime benefits.

During that first year at Fort Carson, he knew he had found his calling: disability advocacy for those who served.

In 2015, Cullen mobilized to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, serving as a Trial Defense Service (TDS) Attorney, representing Soldiers in courts-martial and administrative separation proceedings. After returning to JBLM, he later moved to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he served an additional three years as an MEB Attorney.

In 2017, Cullen mobilized again—this time to Stuttgart, Germany—where he advised the Commander of Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) on matters of military law and served as interim Battalion Judge Advocate for 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He also supported missions to Germany, Korea, and Hawaii.

In 2019, Cullen returned to private practice with a renewed focus on Veterans disability law, assisting hundreds of Veterans nationwide with disability claims and appeals. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2022.

OUR STORY

Cullen’s background as a Judge Advocate and disability counsel inside the U.S. Army created a rare foundation: hands-on advocacy experience within the same systems that decide disability outcomes. He has represented Servicemembers in MEB/PEB proceedings and advised commanders at the highest levels—experience that now informs a practice devoted to Veteran advocacy.

Today, Elrod Legal’s work is primarily dedicated to VA disability claims and appeals. We also handle limited, related military matters—such as MEB/PEB cases and certain administrative actions—when they directly impact a client’s disability rating, discharge characterization, eligibility, or long-term benefits.

In short: VA disability is our focus, and we take on other military matters only when they are closely connected to protecting or improving a client’s benefits.

We do not operate as a general-practice law firm; our work remains concentrated on disability and benefits-related representation for those who have served.

CREDENTIALS

Cullen Elrod is licensed to practice law in Texas and is VA-accredited through the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC).

He is a credentialed mediator, with 40 hours of basic mediation training plus 24 additional hours focused on family dynamics, child development, and Texas family law, and he serves as a volunteer mediator through regional dispute resolution programs.

Cullen is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas and the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates (NOVA).

COMMUNITY

When not working, Cullen spends most of his time with his family.  He enjoys almost all shooting sports (3-gun, IDPA, skeet/trap) and tries to play tennis when he can.  He has previously volunteered with the WWP, USO, Habitat for Humanity, Team Rubicon, and El Pasoans Fighting Hunger. Cullen currently serves on the following boards: Operation True North, Longview Teen Court, American Red Cross-East Texas Chapter, & the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for the City of Longview.

OUR APPROACH

We believe representation should be focused, strategic, and cost-effective. No two cases are the same, so we start by learning your history and your goals. From there, we build a plan tailored to your situation and the stage of your claim or appeal.

We offer several fee structures depending on the case type. Some matters are handled pro bono, while many are handled on a contingency basis.