David M. Gratz
Department of Veterans Affairs
2021 fellow
Mr. Gratz is a Supervisory Senior Counsel with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he leads a team of 40 attorneys in drafting appellate decisions to ensure Veterans receive the full benefits they have earned.
As a subject matter expert in Veterans’ law, Mr. Gratz has trained hundreds of BVA attorneys in key topics including service connection, increased ratings, and the evaluation of evidence based on competence, credibility, and probative value. Mr. Gratz has adjudicated hundreds of cases as an Acting Veterans Law Judge.
Mr. Gratz co-authored the charter for the BVA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, evaluated employee recommendations as a member of the BVA Employee Survey Results Task Force, and advised on graphical user interface design as a member of the BVA Appeals Modernization Task Force. Before joining the VA, Mr. Gratz served as legislative correspondent to Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-05).
Mr. Gratz earned his B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College (cum laude, Phi Betta Kappa), and his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.
As a White House Leadership Development Fellow, Mr. Gratz works in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Office of Performance and Personnel Management, specializing in customer experience.
