For Immediate Release
July 20, 2022
Nationally Recognized Leader on Deceptive Trade Practices by Predatory Schools
To Lead Legal Affairs Team at Veterans Education Success
Former Assistant AG in Kentucky AG’s Office for Consumer Protection, Della Justice
Washington, D.C. – Veterans Education Success announced that Della Justice will join the organization as Vice President for Legal Affairs. Justice, a long-time champion of consumer protection and the public interest, brings to her new role more than 20 years of leadership experience.
As Vice President for Legal Affairs, Justice will lead a small team of lawyers that assists veterans, service members, and their families, supports college whistleblowers and law enforcement agencies investigating consumer fraud in higher education, and advocates for stronger consumer protection policies.
Justice is uniquely qualified for the new role fighting to advance higher education success for veterans, service members, and military families and to protect the integrity and promise of the GI Bill and other federal education programs.
As an Assistant Attorney General in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Attorney General’s Office for Consumer Protection, Justice became known as a state and national leader on deceptive trade practices in higher education. She was lead negotiator representing the interests of state attorneys general in a U.S. Department of Education negotiated rulemaking in 2013. She has been a presenter on consumer protection concerns in higher education at law enforcement conferences.
“We’re thrilled to add a proven champion to the Veterans Education Success team in the fight to protect the GI Bill and student veterans,” said Carrie Wofford, President of Veterans Education Success.“
“Della’s a seasoned pro when it comes to advocating on behalf of veterans and service members subjected to unfair and predatory practices. Her versatility, breadth of experience, and most of all her results as Assistant Attorney General in Kentucky make her exceptionally suited to join our team advocating on behalf of service members and veterans across the US. Her understanding of the unfair, false, misleading, and deceptive trade practices by predatory colleges will be invaluable to those we serve,” Wofford continued.
With humble origins in Appalachian coal country, education was a key in changing Justice’s life trajectory. Those same origins make her particularly attuned to the needs of veterans who want to use their GI Bill benefits to change their own lives. Justice will work to ensure they can do just that.
“I know firsthand how important it is to have access to a good education. It can change people’s lives. That is what the modern GI Bill was meant to do – in return for their voluntary service to our nation, we promise service members the funds for an education,” Justice said.
“It only makes sense, ethically and economically, that we, as a nation, do all we can to ensure GI Bill dollars pay for a quality education. That is why I’m so excited to join the great team at Veterans Education Success where we will fight every day to advance higher education success for veterans, service members, and military families, and to protect the integrity and promise of the GI Bill,” she continued.
Most recently, Justice served as the General Counsel for the Department for Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, advising on policy and overseeing a team of attorneys. Just prior, Justice served as the Deputy Director for the Kentucky CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Network, where she established and implemented a statewide quality assurance protocol.
Justice earned her undergraduate degree from Berea College and graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law, magna cum laude. At Berea, she was awarded the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for post-graduate study abroad and later named an Outstanding Young Alumnus. She started her legal career clerking for U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II, followed by several years of private practice.
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About Veterans Education Success
Veterans Education Success is a veteran advocacy organization that works on a bipartisan basis to advance higher education success for veterans, service members, and military families and to protect the integrity and promise of the GI Bill and other federal education programs. The organization offers free help, advice, and college and career counseling to service members, veterans, survivors, and families using federal education benefits. It helps them participate in their democracy by engaging with policymakers. Veterans Education Success also provides policy expertise to federal and state policymakers and conducts non-partisan research on issues of concern to student veterans. Additional information is available at www.vetsedsuccess.org.
Della Justice Press Release