Student Spotlight

Brandon Procell

Associate Counsel , Department of Veterans Affairs - Board of Veterans' Appeals

Class of 2025

As an infantryman in the U.S. Army, Texas native Brandon Procell conducted 300 multinational combat operations in Iraq. He also worked in counter-narcotics in Colombia, advising the National Police in seizing over 800 kilograms of cocaine, and as a Green Beret in Afghanistan he trained and led an Afghan Special Forces Detachment during bilateral combat operations and planned and facilitated governmental negotiations with tribal leaders. Oh, and he was awarded a Bronze Star.

As if this weren’t enough, Procell is still serving his country, as Counsel for Veterans Affairs at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals in Washington, D.C.  Always intrigued by the legal profession, he didn’t begin law school until two weeks after separating from the Army. “Stepping away from my career as a Green Beret was not an easy decision, and I knew I would have to fill that void in my life with a new challenge,” he said. “Working at the Board of Veterans Appeals is extremely rewarding, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve veterans,” Procell said. In fact, he may well consider his position payback—the military supported his education with tuition assistance and Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits all the way from associate and bachelor’s degrees while on active duty to master’s degrees while recruiting for Special Forces at Fort Bliss, Texas. “Doing well in school while serving on active duty gave me the confidence to seriously pursue law school.”

The military also pointed the way to the NYU MS in Health Law and Strategy, via an email from the Green Beret Foundation advertising its partnership with NYU Law. “The MSHLS program seemed like a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of health law.  Although private sector integrated systems are typically the center of discussion, the VA is actually the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States.  And so, it just made sense to take advantage of the opportunity and better equip myself to serve veterans through the VA.”

When Procell started the MSHLS program, he had a “minimal understanding” of health law. “I didn’t know the differences between Medicare and Medicaid.  As the second semester comes to an end, I feel confident in my understanding of how the United States healthcare system functions. The program isn’t confined to legal matters but also covers topics such as healthcare finance, to include how the various reimbursement models operate. Understanding the underlying incentive structures gives you more tools to work with when approaching the legal issues. This is something I really appreciate about the program structure.”

All told, he said, “The MSHLS program has been an amazing experience. The knowledge and experience of the professors is remarkable, and they have all been approachable and willing to meet on a one-on-one basis as needed. In addition, the guest instructors and guest speakers have come from every corner of the healthcare sector and bring the latest and greatest from their respective fields.  Lastly, but certainly not least, the administrative staff is unrivaled.  They keep everyone on track and updated with routine reminders of class schedules and deliverable due dates. Their contribution to student success cannot be overstated. Regarding study/work balance,

Although the program is no walk in the park, the course load is manageable while working a full-time job. Due dates for deliverables are typically staggered such that you are not overwhelmed with assignments during any given week. In addition, much of the work is collaborative, which really highlights the strengths of the interdisciplinary model.”