HISTORY

Elrod Legal was formed in 2011 serving the Southeast Texas area focusing on Criminal Defense for State-level misdemeanors and felonies.  Already a Judge Advocate in the Army Reserve, Mr. Elrod shut the firm down in 2013 to serve a 12-month mobilization at Fort Carson, CO. He was assigned as a Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) Attorney and assisted injured Soldiers with their disability cases.  After two years in that position, Mr. Elrod accepted a civilian position at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) as a Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) Attorney.  There he advocated for Soldiers at their formal PEB hearings. It was these experiences that first exposed Mr. Elrod to the inner workings of both the DOD and VA disability systems. He saw case after case where the DOD or the VA (often both!) were grossly understating the severity of Soldiers' disabilities. This often resulted in severe consequences, such as a Soldier receiving a medical separation with a severance check instead of a medical retirement and a lifetime of benefits. During that first year at Fort Carson, Mr. Elrod knew he’d found his calling and wanted to permanently work within disability law so that he could continue to advocate for Soldiers and Veterans. His career is now devoted to Veteran advocacy.

In 2015 he mobilized to Fort Sill, OK where he served a year as a Trial Defense Service (TDS) Attorney. He represented Soldiers at 14 courts martial and an slew of administrative separation boards. After returning from Fort Sill to JBLM, Mr. Elrod eventually transferred to a civilian position at Fort Bliss, TX where he served an additional three years as an MEB Attorney.  In 2017, Cullen was mobilized for a fourth time to Stuttgart, Germany where he advised the Commander of Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) on all matters of military law. He also had the opportunity to serve as the interim Battalion Judge Advocate for 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Mr. Elrod was also sent on various short missions to Germany, Korea, and Hawaii.

In 2019 Mr. Elrod transitioned back to private practice. For the past two years he has focused his practice almost solely on Veteran disability law, assisting hundreds of Veterans throughout the US with their disability claims. His most recent assignment was the Group Judge Advocate for the 7th Psychological Operations Group in the Army Reserve. He retired from the US Army in 2022.

OUR STORY

In addition to his previous criminal defense experience, Mr. Elrod's experience as a Uniformed Servicemember and Civilian in the U.S. Army allowed him to hone his trial skills and gain experience in additional areas of law that he would not otherwise have been exposed to.  Mr. Elrod now assists clients primarily with VA Disability Law and other military matters, such as MEB/PEBs, administrative separation boards, boards of inquiry, Articles 15, etc.

When not working, Cullen spends most of his time with his kids and cocker spaniel, Seamus.  He enjoys almost all shooting sports (3-gun, IDPA, skeet/trap) and tries to play tennis when he can.  He has previously volunteered with the WWP, USO, Habitat for Humanity, Team Rubicon, and El Pasoans Fighting Hunger. Cullen currently serves on the following boards: Operation True North, Longview Teen Court, American Red Cross-East Texas Chapter, & the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for the City of Longview.

Cullen is licensed to practice law in the great state of Texas and maintains accreditation with the Department of Veteran Affairs’ Office of General Counsel.  He is licensed to practice before CAVC, or the Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims. He is also a credentialed mediator, having completed forty (40) classroom hours of basic mediation training and an additional twenty-four (24) hours of training in family dynamics, child development and Texas family law.  Cullen serves as a volunteer mediator at the Dispute Resolution Center within the Rio Grande Council of Governments. He previously volunteered at the Montgomery County Dispute Resolution Center. Lastly, Cullen maintains membership in the College of the State Bar of Texas as well as the National Organization of Veteran Advocates (NOVA).

OUR APPROACH

We believe you should get the most for your money and approach every case with that in mind. Rarely are cases similar, so Mr. Elrod will talk with you and discuss your particular needs. Based on that meeting, he will come up with an individually-tailored plan of action to assist you in meeting your exact legal needs. We offer a variety of payment options, which depend on the case type. Additionally, some cases are pro bono while many others are on a contingency basis.