Judge Michael P. Allen
Judge Michael Allen was nominated by the President of the United States in June 2017. He was
confirmed by the United States Senate, and appointed a Judge of the United States Court of
Appeals for Veterans Claims in August 2017. United States District Judge Elizabeth
Kovachevich of the Middle District of Florida administered the judicial oath to Judge Allen on
August 11, 2017.
For 16 years before his judicial appointment, Judge Allen was a tenured full professor of law at
Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. He was also the director of Stetson's
Veterans Law Institute, and he spent four years as the College of Law's associate dean. Judge Allen
also served as a visiting professor of law at the University of Illinois College of Law. Before
entering teaching, Judge Allen practiced law for nine years in the litigation department of the
Boston-based international law firm Ropes & Gray.
Judge Allen graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rochester earning bachelor's
degrees in American history and political science. He received his juris doctor from Columbia
Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar during his final two years.
As a professor, Judge Allen taught courses in constitutional law, civil procedure, federal courts,
remedies, and veterans benefits law. He has been a prolific author, cowriting two books and more
than 25 articles and essays. Judge Allen also received numerous awards for his scholarship and
teaching including the Stetson University Award for Excellence in Scholarship, the Brown-Dickerson
Award for Excellence in Scholarship, the Stetson University Award for Excellence in
Teaching, and the Stetson University Award for Excellence in Professionalism and Career
Development. He also received the Stetson's Golden Apple Award for teaching and was twice
named the best all-around professor.
Judge Allen was also a frequent speaker at community and professional groups while in legal
education. Among his speaking engagements were featured roles at the judicial conferences of
the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit. In addition, Judge Allen testified before the Veterans' Affairs Committees of both the
United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
Before taking the bench, Judge Allen was active in professional associations. He served on the
Board of Trustees of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools and was the Chair of the
American Association of Law Schools' sections on Remedies and New Law Teachers. He is also
active in his synagogue where, along with his wife, he received the Shofar Award for community
service.
Judge Allen is married to Debra Brown Allen and has two sons, Ben and Noah.