Allison Schwach

Practice Focus

Allison Schwach is a Veterans Disability Attorney at Berry Law who represents former military service members pursuing disability compensation for injuries and illnesses connected to their service. By joining Berry Law’s VA team in 2025, Allison fulfilled her desire to help veterans navigate the VA disability process. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, she represents veterans at the Regional Office level (RO), before the Board of Veteran's Affairs (BVA), and at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). Her work involves developing strategies for VA claims and appeals while ensuring impassioned legal advocacy. She brings a thoughtful, detail-focused approach to each case while working toward the benefits Veterans have earned.

Role at Berry Law

Allison’s work includes some of the most meaningful outcomes a Veterans disability practice can offer. One particularly rewarding experience involved helping the surviving spouse of a deceased Veteran obtain survivor’s benefits after years of financial strain and unsuccessful attempts to secure recognition from the VA. Within only a few months of representation, Allison helped the client gain recognition as a surviving spouse, resulting in both future monthly payments and a significant backpay award. For Allison, that case was a powerful reminder that the families of Veterans also make sacrifices and should not be forgotten or left unrecognized.

Service to Veterans

Allison’s decision to serve Veterans is rooted in both personal respect for military service and a broader commitment to helping those who feel voiceless in large systems. She has said that, in many ways, the Department of Veterans Affairs resembles the criminal justice system she worked in earlier in her career: both can be intimidating, procedurally difficult, and overwhelming for the people they are supposed to serve. That insight, shaped by her earlier work as a Criminal Defense Attorney, gives her a strong sense of what it means to advocate for people who may feel like underdogs.

Although Allison is not a Veteran herself, military service is part of her family history. She has two cousins who currently serve and a grandfather who previously served, connections that reinforce her appreciation for the sacrifices military families make. Her work is guided by a passion for helping those who feel overlooked and by a commitment to holding government systems accountable when they fail the people they are meant to help.

Background & Interests

During law school, she also worked as a certified law student in the Wrongful Convictions Clinic, advocating for those harmed by the criminal justice system. Before joining the VA practice at Berry Law, she worked as a Criminal Defense Attorney at the firm, where she represented both juvenile and adult clients, secured numerous dismissals, and obtained a Not Guilty jury trial verdict for a client facing significant imprisonment.

Outside of work, Allison enjoys trying new restaurants, spending time outdoors, and watching live music. She brings the same energy, care, and commitment to her personal interests that she brings to serving Berry Law’s clients.