May 22, 2024
James J. Ilijevich Receives Military Law Section Pro Bono Award
The VSB Military Law Section has named United States Naval Commander James J. Ilijevich (ret.) as the 2024 recipient of the Military Law Section Pro Bono Award. The award seeks to recognize those members of the VSB "who diligently protect those who protect and served to protect our nation."
Ilijevich is the mentor coordinator for the Rappahannock Regional Veterans Treatment Docket, serving hundreds of participants in the Spotsylvania/Stafford/Fredericksburg/King George region. He was one of the first to support instituting a veterans’ docket in the area and was instrumental in its formal establishment.
Ilijevich was nominated by Wendy Harris of the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney in Spotsylvania. Harris described Ilijevich in her nomination as: “A superb and inspiring leader — leads by his own example. No one is a harder worker or is more dedicated to criminal justice and veterans' issues.”
Levi Norton, partner at Norton Pelt, PLC, seconded the nomination noting, “Since the very first day of the Veterans Docket, Jim has volunteered his time to both manage the program and mentor hundreds of participants…He is one of the hardest working most dedicated attorneys that I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He gives selflessly and without reservation to his clients and his community.”
Judge Ricardo Rigual of the Spotsylvania County Circuit Court said of Ilijevich, “He has also volunteered his time and served participants pro bono with legal issues that have come up during their participation in the docket (driver’s license issues, for example). He is truly dedicated to our participants and has spent countless volunteer hours working for their benefit.”
Ilijevich served 22 years in the U.S. Navy. During that time, he received the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Sea Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Ribbon, Battle E Ribbon, and the Presidential Unit Citation. After retiring from the military, Ilijevich joined the Fredericksburg Public Defender's Office where he served from 1996 through 2000. He later served as the Deputy Public Defender from 2003 through 2007.
He is a graduate of Indiana University and George Mason School of Law. The Military Pro Bono award will be presented at the VSB Annual Meeting Access to Legal Services Lunch and Pro Bono Awards Ceremony on May 30 in Virginia Beach.