2026 Spring National Conference – Track II (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

Jason Allan Jenkins, Esq., Senior Attorney | Gravis Law

Jason Allan Jenkins is a Senior Attorney at Gravis Law, where he focuses his practice on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) hearings, appeals, and federal court review. He trains attorneys and staff on work history development, residual functional capacity strategy, and hearing advocacy, and is committed to mentoring newer representatives and improving outcomes for claimants nationwide. Jason has presented for the National Business Institute (NBI) on topics including SSDI 2025: Refresh Your Claim and Appeal Approaches, Improving SSDI Claim Outcomes for Office Workers, and Navigating Unique Work History Issues.

• Education & Credentials

Jason Allan Jenkins is a licensed attorney concentrating his practice in SSDI and SSI representation at the hearing, appellate, and federal court levels. His expertise spans the development of work history evidence, RFC strategy, and hearing advocacy — specialized competencies that reflect deep immersion in the substantive and procedural dimensions of Social Security disability practice. He has further distinguished himself as a continuing legal education presenter for the National Business Institute, a nationally recognized provider of professional legal training. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Jason has been recognized as a national CLE presenter by the National Business Institute, where he has delivered sessions on SSDI claim and appeal strategy, claimant outcomes for office workers, and navigating complex work history issues. His selection as a Senior Attorney at Gravis Law and his internal role training attorneys and staff on hearing advocacy and RFC development reflect the confidence his organization places in his expertise and his ability to translate complex disability law concepts into practical, outcome-driven tools. His mentorship of newer representatives further demonstrates a commitment to elevating the quality of disability advocacy beyond his own caseload.

• Professional Involvement

In addition to his active caseload at Gravis Law, Jason is engaged in professional education at both the firm and national levels. Internally, he trains attorneys and staff on work history development, RFC strategy, and hearing advocacy. Externally, he has presented for the National Business Institute on SSDI claim approaches, office worker claim outcomes, and unique work history issues — programs that reflect his practical, tools-focused approach to disability advocacy education. His mentorship of newer claimants’ representatives reflects a broader commitment to improving outcomes for disability claimants nationwide by investing in the practitioners who serve them.

• Experience

Jason’s practice at Gravis Law encompasses the full scope of SSDI and SSI representation — from administrative hearings and appeals through federal court review. His approach emphasizes the development of practical tools that transform medical records and work histories into functional evidence that administrative law judges can rely on to support favorable decisions. His training and presenting work, both within his firm and through the NBI, reflects an educator’s instinct for identifying the core skills and strategies that produce better outcomes for claimants. His dedication to mentoring newer representatives positions him as not only an effective advocate for his own clients but a force multiplier for the disability bar more broadly.

 

Devina Mistry, Esq., Founder | Law Offices of Devina Mistry

Devina Mistry is the founder of the Law Offices of Devina Mistry, PA, a Social Security disability practice serving clients throughout South Florida since 2016. Driven by a passion for advocacy and a deep understanding of complex legal systems, she built her firm around the representation of adults and children seeking Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Since founding her practice, she has dedicated her career to helping some of South Florida’s most vulnerable individuals navigate the Social Security disability system with knowledgeable, compassionate legal guidance.

• Education & Credentials

Devina Mistry is a licensed attorney practicing in Florida with a practice concentrated in Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income benefits law. She is the founder of her own firm — the Law Offices of Devina Mistry, PA — which she established in 2016 to provide dedicated disability representation to adults and children throughout South Florida. Her legal foundation reflects both a command of the complex regulatory framework governing Social Security benefits and a client-centered approach to advocacy. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Devina’s founding of the Law Offices of Devina Mistry, PA in 2016 reflects both the entrepreneurial initiative and the substantive expertise required to build a successful disability practice from the ground up. Her decision to establish a firm dedicated exclusively to SSDI and SSI representation — serving both adult and child claimants in the South Florida market — demonstrates a clear commitment to filling a critical need for accessible, high-quality disability advocacy in her community. Her sustained growth since 2016 speaks to the trust her clients and referral sources have placed in her advocacy and her firm.

• Professional Involvement

As the founder and managing attorney of her own disability practice, Devina is fully engaged in the day-to-day representation of SSDI and SSI claimants at every stage of the Social Security process. Her practice encompasses both adult and children’s disability claims — a dual focus that requires facility with the distinct legal standards and evidentiary requirements that govern each population. Her work throughout South Florida reflects a commitment to serving a diverse, multilingual community with the comprehensive legal support that complex disability claims demand.

• Experience

Devina founded the Law Offices of Devina Mistry, PA in 2016 with a singular mission: to provide dedicated, compassionate legal representation to individuals and families in South Florida navigating the Social Security disability system. Since then, she has built a practice that serves both adult and child claimants seeking SSDI and SSI benefits, guiding clients through the administrative process with the expertise and personal attention that high-stakes disability claims require. Her experience spans the full range of Social Security disability representation — from initial applications and reconsiderations through administrative hearings and appeals — and her practice reflects the combination of legal rigor and human empathy that defines effective disability advocacy.

 

Debora Wagner, Work Incentives Training & Technical Assistance Specialist | Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute

Debora Wagner is a nationally recognized specialist in Social Security work incentives, benefits planning, and return-to-work issues, with a career spanning 25 years in legal services and law school clinical programs. Throughout her career, she has presented on benefits issues — including post-entitlement and return-to-work matters — for attorneys, vocational rehabilitation professionals, agency staff, individuals with disabilities, and their families. From 2016 to 2022, she led the statewide network of work incentives training and technical assistance for benefits planners in Ohio. Since joining Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute in December 2021, she has continued that work at a national level while also designing and teaching credential courses on Work Incentive Planning for Veterans and on Leadership of Work Incentives Planning Projects. She serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Benefits and Work Incentives Specialists, on the SSA’s Standing Committee of Medical and Vocational Experts for Disability Programs, and is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.

• Education & Credentials

Debora’s credentials are grounded in 25 years of practice at the intersection of legal services, clinical legal education, and disability benefits advocacy, with deep specialization in Social Security work incentives and post-entitlement issues. She has designed and teaches two credential courses at Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute: one on Work Incentive Planning for Veterans and one — co-taught with Aleyda Toruno — for Leaders of Work Incentives Planning Projects. Her membership on the SSA’s Standing Committee of Medical and Vocational Experts for Disability Programs and her election to the National Academy of Social Insurance further reflect the professional recognition she has earned in this specialized field. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Debora serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Benefits and Work Incentives Specialists (NABWIS) and on the Social Security Administration’s Standing Committee of Medical and Vocational Experts for Disability Programs — two positions that place her among the leading voices shaping work incentives policy and practice at the national level. She is also a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. Her design and instruction of credential-level courses at Cornell’s Yang-Tan Institute reflects recognition of her expertise as a curriculum developer and educator, and her six-year leadership of Ohio’s statewide work incentives planning network demonstrates the institutional trust she has earned throughout her career.

• Professional Involvement

Debora’s professional engagement spans training, technical assistance, curriculum development, board leadership, and federal advisory work. At Cornell’s Yang-Tan Institute, she provides work incentives training and technical assistance through the Work Incentive Support Center while also teaching two credential-level courses. Her board service at NABWIS and her committee role at SSA reflect sustained involvement at the national policy level, and her presentations to attorneys, vocational rehabilitation professionals, agency staff, and individuals with disabilities demonstrate an ability to communicate complex benefits law to diverse audiences across professional and community settings.

• Experience

Debora’s 25-year career in legal services and law school clinical programs has been defined by a consistent focus on Social Security benefits, work incentives, and the post-entitlement issues that affect individuals with disabilities who are navigating the intersection of benefits and employment. From 2016 to 2022, she led Ohio’s statewide work incentives training and technical assistance network for benefits planners. Since joining Cornell’s Yang-Tan Institute in December 2021, she has expanded that work to a national platform, providing training and technical assistance through the Work Incentive Support Center and designing credential courses that build capacity among benefits planners and program leaders. Her combined experience as a practitioner, trainer, educator, board member, and federal committee participant makes her one of the most comprehensively engaged professionals in the work incentives and disability benefits field.

 

Raymond Cebula, J.D., Program Director, Work Incentive Support Center | Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute on Employment & Disability

Raymond Cebula, J.D. is the Program Director of the Work Incentive Support Center at Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment & Disability, a position he has held since January 2005. He spent 23 years working in legal services and protection and advocacy programs, providing direct representation to individuals with disabilities in matters involving the Social Security Administration — with a particular focus on return-to-work issues, overpayments, impact litigation, and administrative appeals through the federal circuit level. He joined Cornell’s Work Incentive Support Center in 2000 before transitioning to his current leadership role at the Yang-Tan Institute. Ray is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and the recipient of NOSSCR’s Eileen P. Sweeney Distinguished Service Award.

• Education & Credentials

Raymond earned his Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law in 1982. He is a licensed attorney with 23 years of direct representation experience in legal services and protection and advocacy settings, handling Social Security matters at all levels of the administrative appeals process and in federal court through the circuit level. His legal background, combined with his long tenure at Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute, reflects a career that bridges direct disability advocacy and national-level program leadership in the work incentives field. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.

• Recognition & Leadership

Ray is the recipient of NOSSCR’s Eileen P. Sweeney Distinguished Service Award — one of the most prestigious honors in the Social Security disability advocacy community — and is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, a recognition of his expertise and contributions to social insurance policy and practice. As Program Director of the Work Incentive Support Center at Cornell’s Yang-Tan Institute, he leads one of the country’s most prominent technical assistance and training programs in the disability employment and benefits field. His two-decade-plus tenure at Cornell reflects the sustained institutional trust and professional recognition he has earned across the legal, disability, and work incentives communities.

• Professional Involvement

As Program Director of the Work Incentive Support Center, Ray leads a national program providing training and technical assistance on Social Security work incentives to benefits planners, advocates, and organizations serving individuals with disabilities. His involvement in this work dates to 2000, when he first joined the Cornell team, and has deepened through his leadership role since 2005. His earlier career in legal services and protection and advocacy programs — focused on return-to-work issues, overpayments, impact litigation, and SSA appeals — gives him a practitioner’s grounding that enriches his work as a program director and trainer. His NOSSCR Distinguished Service Award and National Academy of Social Insurance membership reflect the breadth and depth of his engagement across the field.

• Experience

Ray Cebula’s career spans more than four decades of work at the intersection of disability law, Social Security benefits, and employment support. He spent 23 years in legal services and protection and advocacy programs, providing direct representation to individuals with disabilities in complex SSA matters — including return-to-work issues, overpayments, impact litigation, and federal court appeals through the circuit level. In 2000, he joined Cornell University’s Work Incentive Support Center, and in January 2005 he became Program Director at the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment & Disability, where he has led the center’s national training and technical assistance mission ever since. His career represents a rare and powerful integration of frontline legal advocacy and national program leadership in the disability benefits and work incentives space.

 

John Yent, MA, CRC, ABDA, CPWIC, Executive Director, Recovery To Work Disability Services; Vocational Expert | SSA Office of Hearings Operations

John Yent is a rehabilitation counselor, vocational expert, and disability services entrepreneur with nearly four decades of experience in the disability rehabilitation industry. He has been in private practice since 2003 and serves as a Vocational Expert contractor for the SSA Office of Hearings Operations, having testified in more than 10,000 disability hearings since 1997. In 2017, he founded Recovery To Work Disability Services, a national Employment Network under SSA’s Ticket to Work program, and in 2024 co-founded WorkscapeAnalytics.com, a vocational software company. He is a co-founder of the Social Security Vocational Expert Section of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP) and has presented at national conferences including IARP, ABVE, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Association of Administrative Law Judges, and NOSSCR.

• Education & Credentials

John holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Sociology, and Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from La Jolla University. He holds multiple professional certifications, including Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Diplomate of the American Board of Disability Analysts (ABDA), and Community Partner Work Incentives Counselor (CPWIC) — the latter reflecting his specialized training in Social Security Administration disability benefits and work incentives advising. His credentials span rehabilitation counseling, disability analysis, and SSA benefits planning, providing a multidisciplinary foundation for his work as a vocational expert and disability services leader.

• Recognition & Leadership

John is one of the co-founders of the Social Security Vocational Expert Section of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP) and has served as Section Board Member and Past Section Chair — a leadership contribution that has helped shape the professional standards and community for vocational experts practicing before the SSA. His founding of Recovery To Work Disability Services in 2017 and co-founding of WorkscapeAnalytics.com in 2024 reflect an entrepreneurial career defined by building institutions that advance the disability rehabilitation and vocational expert fields. He has been a featured speaker at IARP, the American Board of Vocational Experts, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Association of Administrative Law Judges, and NOSSCR.

• Professional Involvement

John’s professional involvement spans vocational expert testimony, Employment Network leadership, software development, and national conference speaking. As Executive Director of Recovery To Work Disability Services — a national Ticket to Work Employment Network — he helps Social Security disability beneficiaries pursue employment and self-sufficiency. Through WorkscapeAnalytics.com, co-founded in 2024, he is advancing the use of technology and labor market data — including the Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) and Occupational Employment and Wage Survey (OEWS) — to improve vocational analysis in disability adjudication. He has also presented an ORS webinar series for NOSSCR, extending his expertise to claimants’ representatives nationwide.

• Experience

John Yent’s career in disability rehabilitation began in 1986, and he has been in private practice since 2003. Since 1997, he has served as a Vocational Expert contractor for the SSA Office of Hearings Operations, accumulating testimony in more than 10,000 disability hearings — an extraordinary volume that reflects both the longevity and the intensity of his engagement with the Social Security adjudication system. His expertise in the Occupational Requirements Survey and Occupational Employment and Wage Survey positions him at the forefront of the evolving use of labor market data in SSA disability determinations. In 2017, he founded Recovery To Work Disability Services to extend his impact into the Ticket to Work space, and in 2024 co-founded WorkscapeAnalytics.com to bring vocational software tools to practitioners across the field. His leadership in founding the IARP Social Security Vocational Expert Section further cements his legacy as a builder and shaper of the vocational expert profession

 

Michelle Spadafore, Esq., Senior Supervising Attorney, Disability Advocacy Project | New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)

Michelle Spadafore is the Senior Supervising Attorney of the Disability Advocacy Project at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). Prior to joining NYLAG, she worked at the AIDS Center of Queens County, a community-based nonprofit providing comprehensive services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Her practice encompasses Social Security law, access to public benefits, and consumer credit issues. Michelle has played a significant role in impact litigation aimed at improving the SSA’s handling of non-disability appeals, including her involvement in the landmark cases Amin v. Kijakazi, Ershteyn v. Berryhill, and Campos v. Kijakazi.

• Education & Credentials

Michelle is a licensed attorney with deep expertise in Social Security law, public benefits access, and consumer credit issues — a combination of practice areas that reflects both the legal complexity and the economic vulnerability facing many of NYLAG’s clients. Her involvement in multiple impact litigation cases addressing SSA non-disability appeals procedures demonstrates appellate and systemic litigation credentials that extend well beyond routine administrative representation. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

As Senior Supervising Attorney of NYLAG’s Disability Advocacy Project, Michelle holds one of the most senior leadership roles in one of New York City’s most prominent legal aid disability programs. Her participation in Amin v. Kijakazi, Ershteyn v. Berryhill, and Campos v. Kijakazi — a trio of impact cases focused on reforming SSA’s non-disability appeals processes — reflects recognition of her as a litigator capable of advancing systemic change. Her earlier work at the AIDS Center of Queens County demonstrates a career grounded in service to some of New York’s most vulnerable communities, a commitment she has continued and expanded through her leadership at NYLAG.

• Professional Involvement

Michelle’s professional involvement spans direct client representation, organizational leadership, and impact litigation. In addition to supervising the Disability Advocacy Project at NYLAG, she has been a key participant in multiple impact cases challenging the SSA’s handling of non-disability appeals — Amin v. Kijakazi, Ershteyn v. Berryhill, and Campos v. Kijakazi — that represent some of the most significant recent efforts to improve systemic fairness in the SSA’s administrative process. Her prior work at the AIDS Center of Queens County adds a community health and benefits advocacy dimension to a career defined by service to low-income New Yorkers navigating complex government systems.

• Experience

Michelle’s legal career has been built at the intersection of Social Security law, public benefits, and community-based advocacy. Before joining NYLAG, she developed her public interest foundation at the AIDS Center of Queens County, where she served individuals living with HIV/AIDS. At NYLAG’s Disability Advocacy Project, she has risen to Senior Supervising Attorney and expanded her work into impact litigation — taking on SSA non-disability appeals in Amin v. Kijakazi, Ershteyn v. Berryhill, and Campos v. Kijakazi in an effort to improve the systemic fairness of SSA’s administrative procedures. Her career reflects a practitioner who has consistently used both direct representation and strategic litigation to advance the rights of low-income and underserved New Yorkers.

 

Kevin Liebkemann, Esq., Staff Attorney, Legal Services of New Jersey, Acting Director, Economic Justice and Public Benefits Clinic | Rutgers Law School

Kevin Liebkemann is a Tulane Law graduate who has represented clients in Social Security disability cases for over 25 years. He works at Legal Services of New Jersey, a nonprofit legal aid organization providing free legal assistance to low-income individuals, and also serves as Acting Director of the Economic Justice and Public Benefits Clinic at Rutgers Law School. He is the 2018 recipient of NOSSCR’s Eileen P. Sweeney Distinguished Service Award. In addition to his direct representation work, Kevin writes articles on disability-related topics, trains attorneys and advocates, and engages in disability policy work. Outside the office, he is an avid songwriter and musician.

• Education & Credentials

Kevin earned his Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School. He is a licensed attorney with over 25 years of concentrated experience in Social Security disability law, complemented by his role as Acting Director of the Economic Justice and Public Benefits Clinic at Rutgers Law School — a position that requires both substantive expertise and clinical teaching skills. His combination of direct legal aid practice, law school clinical leadership, scholarly writing on disability topics, and practitioner training reflects a multidimensional legal career grounded in deep subject matter expertise.

• Recognition & Leadership

Kevin received NOSSCR’s Eileen P. Sweeney Distinguished Service Award in 2018 — one of the field’s most prestigious honors, recognizing distinguished service on behalf of people with disabilities in America. His appointment as Acting Director of the Economic Justice and Public Benefits Clinic at Rutgers Law School reflects his standing as both a skilled practitioner and an educator trusted to lead one of the state’s most prominent law school clinical programs. His decades of service at Legal Services of New Jersey, combined with his national profile as a writer, trainer, and policy advocate, cement his reputation as one of the most well-rounded and respected figures in the Social Security disability bar.

• Professional Involvement

Kevin’s professional involvement extends well beyond his caseload. As Acting Director of the Economic Justice and Public Benefits Clinic at Rutgers Law School, he helps train the next generation of public interest lawyers. He regularly writes articles on disability-related topics and trains attorneys and advocates — activities that multiply his impact far beyond individual representation. His policy work adds a systemic dimension to a career that already spans direct advocacy, clinical education, and scholarship. Kevin has been a featured speaker at NOSSCR national meetings, and his breadth of engagement across the disability law community reflects a practitioner who is as invested in the health of the field as in the outcomes of his own cases.

• Experience

With over 25 years of Social Security disability representation, Kevin Liebkemann has built one of the most comprehensive and multifaceted careers in the field. At Legal Services of New Jersey, he has devoted his practice to providing free legal assistance to low-income individuals navigating the Social Security disability system. Simultaneously, his role as Acting Director of the Rutgers Law School Economic Justice and Public Benefits Clinic has allowed him to shape clinical legal education while maintaining an active practice. His writing on disability law topics, his practitioner training, and his disability policy work reflect a career that integrates advocacy, education, and systemic change — all recognized by NOSSCR’s 2018 Eileen P. Sweeney Distinguished Service Award. When not practicing law, Kevin channels his creativity into songwriting and musical performance.

 

Katherine Courtney, JD, MSW, Senior Statewide Support Attorney, Disability Advocacy Program | Empire Justice Center

Katherine (Katie) Courtney is a Senior Statewide Support Attorney in the Disability Advocacy Program at Empire Justice Center, a role she returned to in 2024 after a distinguished career spanning legal aid, federal adjudication, and the federal courts. Admitted to the New York State Bar in 2007, Katie has served in the Empire Justice Center’s Disability Advocacy Program, as an Attorney Advisor at the SSA’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, and as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Her dual JD/MSW from the University at Buffalo equips her with both the legal and social work perspectives that define effective, holistic disability advocacy. She is a past president of the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys and the Foundation of the Monroe County Bar Association.

• Education & Credentials

Katie holds a dual JD/MSW from the University at Buffalo — a combination that reflects her commitment to approaching disability advocacy from both a legal and a human services perspective. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2007. Her credentials include not only her academic and bar qualifications but also the institutional experience she gained as an Attorney Advisor at the SSA’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review and as a federal court law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York — perspectives that give her rare insight into how Social Security disability cases are evaluated at both the administrative and judicial levels.

• Recognition & Leadership

Katie has served as president of both the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys and the Foundation of the Monroe County Bar Association — two leadership roles that reflect her standing in the Western New York legal community and her commitment to advancing the profession. Her career path through legal aid, federal SSA adjudication, and a federal district court clerkship is itself a mark of distinction, demonstrating a practitioner who has earned the trust of institutions across the spectrum of Social Security disability law. Her return to Empire Justice Center in 2024 as a Senior Statewide Support Attorney reflects the organization’s recognition of her exceptional depth and breadth of experience.

• Professional Involvement

Katie’s professional involvement spans direct disability advocacy, federal adjudication, judicial clerkship, and bar association leadership. At Empire Justice Center, she provides statewide support to disability advocates and attorneys across New York, leveraging her inside knowledge of both SSA’s adjudication processes and the federal courts. Her prior role as an Attorney Advisor at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review gives her a perspective on the SSA decision-making process that few advocates possess, and her federal clerkship adds a judicial lens that informs her approach to appellate and impact work. Her leadership in the Rochester legal community further demonstrates a career defined by engagement beyond the casebook.

• Experience

Katie Courtney’s career charts an unusually rich course through Social Security disability law. She began at Empire Justice Center’s Disability Advocacy Program, then moved inside the SSA as an Attorney Advisor at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review — gaining firsthand knowledge of how the agency evaluates and decides disability claims. She then clerked for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, adding a federal judicial perspective to her already multifaceted background. In 2024, she returned to Empire Justice as a Senior Statewide Support Attorney, bringing that accumulated institutional knowledge to bear in support of disability advocates and claimants across New York State. Her dual JD/MSW and her leadership in the Rochester bar community round out a career of exceptional depth, range, and impact.

 

Jennifer Burdick, Esq., Divisional Supervising Attorney, SSI Unit | Community Legal Services

Jennifer Burdick is the Divisional Supervising Attorney of the SSI Unit at Community Legal Services (CLS) in Philadelphia, where she represents adults and children facing challenges attaining and maintaining Supplemental Security Income benefits in administrative hearings and federal court. She also advocates nationally for systemic reforms to improve and stabilize the lives of individuals with disabilities. Prior to joining CLS, Jennifer worked at Dechert LLP and clerked for Judge Van Antwerpen on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

• Education & Credentials

Jennifer is a licensed attorney whose credentials include a Third Circuit Court of Appeals clerkship under Judge Van Antwerpen and private practice experience at Dechert LLP — a large national law firm — before she transitioned to public interest work at Community Legal Services. Her clerkship on the Third Circuit provided appellate training of the highest order, and her Dechert experience gave her exposure to sophisticated federal litigation practice. Both inform her current work as a supervising attorney handling complex SSI matters in administrative and federal court proceedings. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Jennifer’s elevation to Divisional Supervising Attorney at Community Legal Services — one of the country’s most respected legal aid organizations — reflects her expertise, leadership ability, and commitment to the SSI population she serves. Her prior clerkship with Judge Van Antwerpen on the Third Circuit is a mark of professional distinction, and her decision to bring that appellate pedigree to public interest advocacy at CLS reflects a commitment to access to justice that defines her career. Her national advocacy for systemic SSI reforms further demonstrates a practitioner who engages the disability benefits system at both the individual and policy levels.

• Professional Involvement

In addition to supervising the SSI Unit at CLS, Jennifer engages in national advocacy for systemic reforms affecting individuals with disabilities who rely on Supplemental Security Income. This policy-level engagement complements her direct representation work and reflects a practitioner who understands that durable improvements in the lives of SSI recipients require change both at the individual case level and in the broader legal and regulatory framework. Her career arc — from Third Circuit clerkship to large-firm practice to public interest leadership — brings a distinctive analytical rigor and strategic breadth to her advocacy at CLS.

• Experience

Jennifer Burdick’s legal career moves from the heights of appellate court and large-firm practice to the front lines of public interest advocacy. She clerked for Judge Van Antwerpen on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit before joining Dechert LLP, where she gained experience in federal litigation at one of the country’s leading law firms. She subsequently joined Community Legal Services, where she now serves as Divisional Supervising Attorney of the SSI Unit — representing adults and children seeking and maintaining SSI benefits in administrative hearings and federal court, while also advocating at the national level for systemic reforms to the SSI program. Her career reflects the rare practitioner who channels elite legal training into sustained, mission-driven advocacy for some of the most economically vulnerable individuals in the country.

 

Lawrence Rohlfing, Esq., Founder | Law Offices of Lawrence Rohlfing

Lawrence (Larry) Rohlfing is the founder of the Law Offices of Lawrence Rohlfing, a Social Security disability practice. A graduate of Whittier College (1982) and Whittier Law School (1985, cum laude), Larry has built a distinguished career in disability law that has earned him recognition as both the Whittier Law School Attorney of the Year (2016) and the Southeast Bar Association Attorney of the Year (2017). Beyond his legal practice, Larry is deeply rooted in his community — he has coached football, managed youth baseball and softball teams, and currently serves as an elder of La Habra Christian Church. He and his wife Maggie are the proud parents of seven children and grandparents of twelve.

• Education & Credentials

Larry earned his undergraduate degree from Whittier College in 1982 and his Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School in 1985, graduating cum laude. His academic distinction at Whittier Law laid the foundation for a career in Social Security disability law that has spanned decades. His selection as Whittier Law School Attorney of the Year in 2016 reflects the esteem in which his alma mater holds his professional accomplishments, and his Southeast Bar Association Attorney of the Year recognition in 2017 underscores the regard of his broader legal community.

• Recognition & Leadership

Larry’s professional recognition includes the Whittier Law School Attorney of the Year award (2016) and the Southeast Bar Association Attorney of the Year award (2017) — honors that reflect his standing among both his academic peers and his regional bar colleagues. His leadership extends beyond the law office into his community, where he has served as a youth football coach, managed baseball and softball teams, and currently serves as an elder of La Habra Christian Church. These contributions reflect a life of service that parallels his professional commitment to the clients of his disability law practice.

• Professional Involvement

As the founder of the Law Offices of Lawrence Rohlfing, Larry has dedicated his legal career to representing Social Security disability claimants. His long tenure in private practice reflects a commitment to building a firm defined by quality advocacy and client service. His community involvement — from youth sports coaching to church elder service — reflects the same values of dedication and leadership that characterize his professional practice, and speaks to a lawyer whose engagement with his community extends well beyond the courtroom.

• Experience

Larry Rohlfing has practiced Social Security disability law since graduating cum laude from Whittier Law School in 1985, building the Law Offices of Lawrence Rohlfing into a dedicated disability practice. Over the course of his career, he has earned the respect of both his professional community — recognized as attorney of the year by his law school and by the Southeast Bar Association — and his broader community, where he has invested decades of service as a coach, team manager, and church leader. He and his wife Maggie have raised seven children together and are now grandparents to twelve, a family legacy that reflects the same long-term commitment and care he brings to his clients and his practice.

 

Russell Rohlfing, Esq., Attorney | Law Offices of Lawrence Rohlfing

Russell Rohlfing is an attorney at the Law Offices of Lawrence Rohlfing, where he practices Social Security disability law. A 2024 graduate with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law, Russell brings a distinctive combination of academic achievement, appellate writing experience, and competitive athletic discipline to his legal career. While in law school, he served as a graduate assistant wrestling coach for the University of Wyoming and developed his appellate advocacy skills writing briefs under the mentorship of an experienced practitioner. His background reflects a commitment to precision, preparation, and excellence that carries directly into his disability advocacy work.

• Education & Credentials

Russell earned his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2024. During law school, he developed specialized appellate writing skills by drafting briefs under the close guidance of a seasoned mentor — practical training that complements his academic credentials and positions him well for the federal court and appellate dimensions of Social Security disability practice. His honors distinction reflects academic excellence, and his dual role as a law student and graduate assistant wrestling coach demonstrates the discipline and work ethic he brings to his legal career.

• Recognition & Leadership

Russell’s graduation with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2024 reflects academic distinction at the outset of a promising legal career. His selection as a graduate assistant wrestling coach for the University of Wyoming — a role that demands leadership, mentorship, and the ability to develop others — speaks to qualities that translate directly into effective legal advocacy and client service. His early immersion in appellate brief writing under mentorship, combined with his honors degree, positions him as a thoughtful and well-prepared emerging practitioner in the Social Security disability field.

• Professional Involvement

Russell is actively building his practice in Social Security disability law at the Law Offices of Lawrence Rohlfing. His law school experience writing appellate briefs under a mentor’s guidance gave him early exposure to the kind of precise, evidence-driven written advocacy that defines effective disability representation at the federal court level. His background as a collegiate wrestling coach also reflects a commitment to developing others — a quality he brings to his approach to client advocacy and to his development within a practice built on decades of experience and professional excellence.

• Experience

Russell Rohlfing joined the Law Offices of Lawrence Rohlfing following his 2024 graduation with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law, where he balanced rigorous legal studies with service as a graduate assistant wrestling coach — a testament to his discipline and capacity for sustained high performance under pressure. His law school appellate brief writing experience, developed under the guidance of an experienced mentor, provided early and practical preparation for the federal court dimensions of Social Security disability practice. As a new attorney at a firm with a deep legacy in disability advocacy, Russell brings fresh academic credentials, strong appellate instincts, and the drive of a competitive athlete to his representation of Social Security claimants.

 

Meghan Gallo, Esq., Regional Attorney | GCC Law Firm

Meghan Gallo is a regional attorney at GCC Law Firm in Rogers, Arkansas, with a practice extending across states in the Midwest and the South. With 15 years of experience, she devotes her practice exclusively to representing disabled individuals before the Social Security Administration and in federal court. Meghan currently serves as the Eighth Circuit Representative on the NOSSCR Board of Directors and speaks regularly at NOSSCR conferences and attorney groups nationwide on vocational evidence issues. A graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management and the University of Arkansas School of Law (Dean’s List, J.D. 2010), she brings both a business-grounded analytical perspective and deep legal expertise to her disability advocacy. As the proud parent of a disabled child, Meghan brings a rare personal dimension to her professional commitment — one that fuels her resolve to fight for the rights and well-being of every client she represents.

• Education & Credentials

Meghan earned her undergraduate degree in business from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management before attending the University of Arkansas School of Law, where she made the Dean’s List and earned her Juris Doctor in 2010. Her business education provides a strong analytical and organizational foundation that complements her legal practice, particularly in the evidence-intensive work of Social Security disability representation. Her Dean’s List distinction at the University of Arkansas School of Law reflects the academic rigor she brought to her legal training and has continued to apply throughout her 15-year career.

• Recognition & Leadership

Meghan serves as the Eighth Circuit Representative on the NOSSCR Board of Directors — a position of regional and national leadership within the country’s premier organization for Social Security claimants’ representatives. Her regular speaking appearances at NOSSCR conferences and attorney groups across the country, with a focus on vocational evidence issues, reflect her recognition as a subject matter expert whose insights practitioners nationwide seek out. Her 15-year career at GCC Law Firm and the multistate reach of her practice across the Midwest and South further demonstrate the professional trust her firm and clients have placed in her expertise.

• Professional Involvement

Meghan is deeply engaged in the disability advocacy community at both the national and regional levels. As the Eighth Circuit Representative on the NOSSCR Board of Directors, she contributes to the governance and direction of NOSSCR while representing the interests of practitioners in her circuit. Her regular conference speaking on vocational evidence reflects sustained engagement with one of the most technically demanding and consequential areas of Social Security disability practice. Her multistate regional practice across the Midwest and the South gives her broad exposure to the diverse legal landscapes and administrative environments in which disability claimants pursue their cases.

• Experience

Meghan Gallo has devoted her entire 15-year legal career to representing Social Security disability claimants before the SSA and in federal court. Based in Rogers, Arkansas, she practices across multiple states in the Midwest and the South — a regional footprint that reflects the depth of her expertise and the confidence practitioners and clients across jurisdictions place in her advocacy. Her specialization in vocational evidence has made her a sought-after national speaker on the topic, and her service on the NOSSCR Board as the Eighth Circuit Representative positions her at the intersection of practice and policy in the disability advocacy community. As a parent of a disabled child, Meghan brings an authenticity and personal investment to her work that few practitioners can match — a dimension of her advocacy that is as defining as her legal credentials.

 

Rob Tarlock, Esq., Disability Attorney & Federal Litigator | Liner Legal

Rob Tarlock is a Disability Attorney and federal litigator at Liner Legal, where he represents clients nationwide at every stage of the Social Security disability process — from administrative hearings through U.S. District Court and the Courts of Appeal. Based in Chicago, Rob brings more than seven years of disability law experience, two judicial clerkships, and a career defined by advocacy both inside and outside the courtroom. He holds a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Literature from Colby College. A respected voice in the national disability law community, Rob speaks regularly at NOSSCR conferences, the National Business Institute, bar associations, and law school symposia. Before entering the law, he spent 15 years as a hip-hop artist and former public school teacher — a background that continues to shape his commitment to amplifying underserved voices.

• Education & Credentials

Rob earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Literature from Colby College and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. He clerked for both the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Daley Circuit Court in Chicago — dual clerkship experience that gave him deep firsthand insight into judicial decision-making, procedural expectations, and the standards federal courts apply in reviewing Social Security disability cases. His clerkship background is a significant professional credential that directly informs his approach to federal disability litigation and his preparation of clients for every stage of the adjudication process.

• Recognition & Leadership

Rob has established himself as a recognized national speaker and educator in the Social Security disability field. He has presented on Social Security topics at NOSSCR conferences, the National Business Institute, the Chicago and North Carolina Bar Associations, and Loyola College of Law’s Children’s Legal Rights Journal Symposium — a diverse platform that reflects the breadth of his expertise and the demand for his perspective among practitioners, judges, and law students alike. His dual clerkship experience at the federal district court and circuit court levels, combined with his active federal litigation practice at Liner Legal, positions him as one of the more credentialed federal litigators in the disability bar.

• Professional Involvement

Rob’s professional involvement spans federal disability litigation, national education, and the mentorship of fellow attorneys. At Liner Legal, he handles SSDI and SSI administrative hearings, federal court appeals, and complex claims requiring appellate-level strategy. As a national speaker, he contributes to practitioner education at NOSSCR, the NBI, and bar association events, as well as academic settings such as Loyola’s Children’s Legal Rights Journal Symposium. His background as a former public school teacher and his long history of community and political engagement — including voter protection work during the 2008 presidential election — reflect a practitioner whose professional involvement is rooted in a career-long commitment to advocacy for underserved communities.

• Experience

Rob Tarlock’s path to disability law runs through two judicial clerkships, more than seven years of federal disability litigation, a decade and a half in public education and hip-hop, and a career defined by advocacy for those whose voices too often go unheard. At Liner Legal, he represents clients across the country at every level of the Social Security disability process — from initial hearings before administrative law judges through federal district court and appellate litigation. His DePaul JD, his Colby BA in American Studies and Literature, and his clerkship experience at both the federal district and circuit court levels give him a rigorous analytical foundation and a judicial perspective that sets his advocacy apart. Outside the office, Rob continues to write and perform music in Chicago, channeling the same creative drive and social justice orientation that have shaped his career from its earliest days.

 

Bryan Konoski, Esq., Founder | The Federal Appeals Firm

Bryan Konoski is a Social Security disability attorney and the founder of The Federal Appeals Firm, where he represents claimants in federal court and provides strategic guidance on complex disability matters. In addition to his litigation practice, Bryan is an AI prompt engineer who trains attorneys nationwide on integrating artificial intelligence into legal workflows. He develops practical, ethics-focused systems designed to help practitioners improve efficiency, accuracy, and client service through the responsible use of AI tools. Bryan is a regular national speaker on AI adoption in law, with a particular focus on the safe and effective use of tools like Claude in Social Security disability and administrative practice.

• Education & Credentials

Bryan is a licensed attorney with a practice concentrated in federal court Social Security disability appeals and complex disability matters. His credentials extend beyond traditional legal practice to include expertise as an AI prompt engineer — a specialized skill set that reflects his command of how large language models can be deployed responsibly and effectively in legal settings. His development of ethics-focused AI systems for law practice reflects a practitioner who approaches both law and technology with rigor, precision, and a commitment to professional responsibility. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Bryan’s dual standing as a federal disability litigator and a nationally recognized AI trainer for attorneys reflects a rare combination of legal expertise and technological leadership. His founding of The Federal Appeals Firm — dedicated to federal court disability representation — demonstrates both entrepreneurial initiative and specialized appellate expertise. His national speaking practice on AI adoption in law, with a focus on tools like Claude in Social Security and administrative practice, has positioned him as one of the leading voices at the intersection of disability law and legal technology. His ethics-first approach to AI system development reflects the kind of principled leadership the legal profession needs as it navigates the integration of AI into practice.

• Professional Involvement

Bryan’s professional involvement spans federal disability litigation, AI system development, and national legal education. At The Federal Appeals Firm, he handles federal court appeals of Social Security disability denials and advises on complex disability strategy. Alongside his legal practice, he trains attorneys across the country on practical, ethics-focused AI integration — building systems and workflows that allow practitioners to harness the efficiency and analytical power of AI tools while maintaining the accuracy and professional responsibility standards that disability claimants depend on. His regular national speaking on AI in law keeps him at the forefront of one of the most consequential conversations in the legal profession today.

• Experience

Bryan Konoski has built a distinctive career that positions him at the convergence of two fields reshaping the practice of disability law: federal appellate litigation and artificial intelligence. As founder of The Federal Appeals Firm, he brings focused expertise to the federal court phase of Social Security disability appeals — the stage where strategic precision and deep knowledge of judicial standards matter most. As an AI prompt engineer and national trainer, he has developed practical systems that help attorneys across the country integrate AI tools like Claude into their disability and administrative practices in ways that are both effective and ethically grounded. His ability to move fluidly between the courtroom and the cutting edge of legal technology makes him one of the most uniquely positioned practitioners and educators in the Social Security disability field today.

 

Mindy Yocum,Esq.,Founder | Yocum Law and JusticeMobile;  The Bar We Build

Mindy Yocum is an attorney, disability advocate, and legal innovator with a decade of experience at the intersection of Social Security disability law and access to justice design. She is the founder of Yocum Law and JusticeMobile, a mobile legal clinic serving underserved communities across Ohio, as well as the founder of The Bar We Build — a nationwide community helping lawyers create sustainable, client-centered practices through the BUILD Method™ framework and an AI-powered Client Care Coach. Mindy combines deep disability advocacy experience with a forward-looking commitment to legal education innovation, making her one of the most distinctive voices in the modern disability and legal services space.

• Education & Credentials

Mindy is a licensed attorney with a decade of concentrated experience in disability advocacy. Her credentials extend into the emerging field of legal practice design, where she has developed the BUILD Method™ — a proprietary framework for helping attorneys build sustainable, client-centered practices — and an AI-powered Client Care Coach deployed through The Bar We Build. Her work as a mobile legal clinic founder reflects both her legal credentials and her commitment to delivering legal services in innovative ways to communities that traditional law practice models have historically underserved. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Mindy’s leadership spans disability law, mobile legal services, and nationwide legal practice innovation. Her founding of JusticeMobile — a mobile legal clinic bringing legal services directly to underserved Ohio communities — represents a model of access to justice delivery that has drawn attention well beyond state borders. Her creation of The Bar We Build, a nationwide practitioner community, and its accompanying BUILD Method™ framework and AI-powered coaching tool, establish her as a pioneering voice in the movement to reimagine how law practices are built and how lawyers serve clients. Her decade of disability advocacy provides the substantive grounding that makes her innovations both practically credible and mission-driven.

• Professional Involvement

Mindy’s professional involvement operates simultaneously across disability law practice, mobile legal service delivery, and national legal education. Through Yocum Law and JusticeMobile, she provides direct legal representation to Ohio’s underserved communities, removing the geographic and logistical barriers that prevent many individuals from accessing the disability advocacy they need. Through The Bar We Build, she supports attorneys across the country in developing practices that are both client-centered and professionally sustainable — using the BUILD Method™ and AI-powered tools to help lawyers work more effectively and ethically. This dual engagement — in the field and in the profession — makes her one of the more uniquely positioned practitioners in the disability and legal innovation space.

• Experience

Mindy Yocum has spent a decade building a career that refuses to stay within conventional boundaries. Her disability advocacy practice at Yocum Law is delivered in part through JusticeMobile, a mobile legal clinic that brings legal services to underserved Ohioans who might otherwise go unrepresented. Alongside her direct practice, she founded The Bar We Build — a nationwide attorney community organized around the BUILD Method™ and an AI-powered Client Care Coach — to help lawyers across the country design practices that genuinely serve clients while remaining sustainable for the practitioners themselves. Her combination of disability advocacy experience, access to justice innovation, and legal education leadership reflects a practitioner who is simultaneously shaping how disability law is practiced today and how legal services will be delivered tomorrow.

 

Nathan Chapman, MBA, Founder |Firmidable

Nathan Chapman is the founder of Firmidable and widely recognized as the foremost authority on marketing strategy for Social Security disability practices. His involvement in the field dates to 1991, when he presented at a NOSSCR conference where his agency became the first in the nation to introduce professional marketing to Social Security disability representatives — a milestone that set the course for how disability firms approach growth, branding, and client development. Through Firmidable, he has helped firms across the country grow into household names and regional powerhouses. Nathan holds a degree in finance and a marketing-focused MBA, and his approach is defined by data-driven, holistic marketing strategies built around each firm’s own measures of success.

• Education & Credentials

Nathan holds an undergraduate degree in finance and a Master of Business Administration with a focus in marketing — an academic combination that underpins his data-driven approach to disability firm growth. His dual grounding in quantitative financial analysis and strategic marketing gives him a distinctive framework for building and measuring practice development programs that go beyond conventional legal marketing. His credentials are matched by more than three decades of applied expertise, making him the most experienced marketing strategist in the Social Security disability field.

• Recognition & Leadership

Nathan’s leadership in disability firm marketing is without parallel. At a NOSSCR conference in 1991, his agency became the first in the country to bring professional marketing strategies to Social Security disability representatives — a pioneering contribution that permanently changed how disability practices approach growth and client development. Through Firmidable, he has transformed firms into regional powerhouses and household names, building a track record of results that has made him the most trusted marketing authority in the disability law space. His long association with NOSSCR and the disability advocacy community reflects the sustained esteem in which practitioners across the country hold his expertise.

• Professional Involvement

Nathan has been deeply engaged in the Social Security disability professional community since 1991, when he first introduced professional marketing to the field at a NOSSCR national conference. Through Firmidable, he continues to work directly with disability practices across the country, developing data-driven growth strategies tailored to each firm’s unique goals, market position, and measures of success. His holistic approach to marketing — integrating finance, data analytics, and brand strategy — distinguishes his work from conventional legal marketing and reflects a practitioner whose engagement with the disability law community is both long-tenured and continuously evolving.

• Experience

Nathan Chapman has spent more than three decades at the intersection of marketing strategy and Social Security disability practice development. His career-defining moment came in 1991 at a NOSSCR conference, where his agency introduced professional marketing to disability representatives for the first time in the country — establishing him as a true pioneer in a field that has since become essential to how disability firms compete and grow. Through Firmidable, he has built a body of work that includes transforming regional practices into dominant household names, all through strategies grounded in data, finance, and a deep understanding of what disability firms need to succeed. His finance degree and marketing MBA give his work the analytical rigor that sets Firmidable apart, and his more than 30 years in the field give him an institutional knowledge of the disability law market that no one else can match.

 

James Vancel, Co-Founder | Benny

James Vancel is the co-founder of Benny, a platform built to make the SSDI and SSI application process simpler and more efficient for disability advocates and the claimants they serve. Benny’s tools help firms streamline intake, reduce paperwork, and stay better connected with claimants throughout the claims process. Before founding Benny, James founded Busara, a behavioral design and research firm that partnered with governments and social-sector organizations to improve public benefits programs — leading teams that redesigned forms, application processes, and service delivery systems to make it easier for people to access the support they needed. His background in behavioral design and public benefits reform gives him a uniquely human-centered perspective on the challenges facing disability claimants and the practitioners who represent them.

• Education & Credentials

James brings a distinctive academic and professional foundation to disability practice technology — one rooted in behavioral design, public benefits research, and systems reform rather than conventional legal or software backgrounds. His leadership of Busara, a behavioral design and research firm that worked with governments and social-sector organizations worldwide, reflects advanced expertise in applying behavioral science to public benefits access — a rigorous, evidence-based discipline directly relevant to the challenges of SSDI and SSI intake, application, and claimant communication. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

James’s founding of Busara — a firm that partnered with governments and social-sector organizations on behavioral design and public benefits reform — and his subsequent co-founding of Benny reflect a career defined by building organizations that improve how people access public support systems. His experience redesigning government forms, application processes, and service delivery systems at Busara gives him a proven track record of translating behavioral research into practical, human-centered design improvements. At Benny, he has applied that expertise specifically to the SSDI and SSI space, developing tools that address the real-world friction points that slow intake, burden practitioners, and delay claimants from getting the benefits they need.

• Professional Involvement

James works closely with disability advocates across the country through Benny, developing tools and workflows that address the operational challenges disability firms face in managing intake, paperwork, and ongoing claimant communication. His engagement with the disability advocacy community reflects a genuine commitment to understanding practitioners’ needs and building technology that serves both the firms and the claimants who depend on them. His prior work at Busara — partnering with governments and social-sector organizations to redesign public benefits systems — gives him a global perspective on the structural barriers to benefits access that continues to inform his product development and advocacy at Benny.

• Experience

James Vancel’s career has been devoted to making it easier for people to access the public benefits and support systems they need. At Busara, the behavioral design and research firm he founded, he led teams that worked with governments and social-sector organizations to redesign forms, application processes, and service systems — applying rigorous behavioral science to the real-world friction that prevents people from getting help. He brought that same mission-driven, human-centered approach to Benny, which he co-founded to address the specific operational challenges of the SSDI and SSI claims process. Benny’s tools help disability advocates streamline intake, cut paperwork, and maintain meaningful connections with claimants — improvements grounded in James’s deep understanding of how systems design shapes outcomes for the people those systems are meant to serve.

 

Douglas Mohney, Esq., Board Certified Social Security Attorney

Douglas Mohney is a Board Certified Social Security Attorney certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, with a practice spanning federal disability litigation, veterans’ benefits, and Social Security claimant representation across Michigan and Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University (1989), an Associate of Applied Science in Law Enforcement from Kalamazoo Valley Regional Training Academy, and a Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, from Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University (1992). Doug is admitted to practice in Michigan and Florida, multiple federal district and circuit courts, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He has served as the NOSSCR Eleventh Circuit Director since 2015 and has been a regular presenter at NOSSCR national conferences on a range of complex Social Security disability topics.

• Education & Credentials

Doug earned a Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University (1989), an AAS in Law Enforcement from Kalamazoo Valley Regional Training Academy, and a Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, from Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University (1992). He is admitted to practice in Michigan (1992) and Florida (1994), as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Michigan, the Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims (as an Accredited Veterans’ Attorney), and the Supreme Court of the United States. He holds the Board Certified Social Security Attorney designation from the National Board of Trial Advocacy and carries AV Preeminent® peer review and judicial review ratings from Martindale-Hubbell — the highest possible ratings in both categories.

• Recognition & Leadership

Doug’s professional recognition includes his Board Certified Social Security Attorney credential from the National Board of Trial Advocacy, dual AV Preeminent® ratings from Martindale-Hubbell for both peer review and judicial review, and his tenure since 2015 as the NOSSCR Eleventh Circuit Director. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Southwest Florida Justice Association (2016–present). His Supreme Court admission, his Accredited Veterans’ Attorney designation, and his regular NOSSCR national conference speaking record — covering topics ranging from federal court litigation strategy to medical expert cross-examination — reflect a career of exceptional breadth and sustained professional distinction.

• Professional Involvement

Doug is a member of the American Association for Justice, the American Bar Association, the Southwest Florida Trial Lawyers Association, the Florida Justice Association, and NOSSCR, where he has served as Eleventh Circuit Director since 2015. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Southwest Florida Justice Association. His conference speaking record at NOSSCR national meetings reflects consistent engagement with the most technically complex issues in disability practice — including federal court bypass strategies, the five-day evidence rule, drug and alcohol abuse disabilities, limited English proficient claimants, and the cross-examination of SSA medical experts.

• Experience

Doug Mohney’s career in Social Security and disability law spans decades and multiple jurisdictions, with admissions to state bars in Michigan and Florida and to federal courts from the district level through the Supreme Court of the United States. His Accredited Veterans’ Attorney designation adds a veterans’ benefits dimension to a practice already defined by depth in Social Security disability litigation. He has presented at NOSSCR national conferences in Seattle, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and New Orleans on topics including federal court appeals strategy, SSA evidence rules, drug and alcohol abuse disabilities, interpreter issues, professional ethics, and the cross-examination of medical experts — a body of speaking work that reflects the full range of complex issues practitioners encounter in federal disability litigation. His AV Preeminent® ratings and Board Certification further underscore a career of consistently high professional achievement.

 

Craig Polhemus, Esq., Board Certified Social Security Attorney

Craig Polhemus is a Board Certified Social Security Attorney certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, with one of the most distinctive and multidisciplinary careers in the disability field. A Princeton University graduate, Cum Laude (B.A., 1974), and Georgetown University Law Center graduate and Law Journal editor (J.D., 1977), Craig’s career has spanned federal legislative counsel work, state government general counsel service, nonprofit executive leadership, and economics scholarship — before his decades in Social Security disability practice. He is admitted to practice in New York (1978) and Florida (2011) and has presented at NOSSCR national conferences on complex disability topics including federal court bypass strategy and drug and alcohol abuse disabilities.

• Education & Credentials

Craig earned a Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, from Princeton University (1974) and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center (1977), where he served as an editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. He is admitted to practice in New York (1978) and Florida (2011), and holds the Board Certified Social Security Attorney designation from the National Board of Trial Advocacy. His legal credentials are complemented by a career that includes federal legislative drafting, state general counsel service, and published economics work — an intellectual breadth that is rare among disability practitioners and that enriches his analytical approach to complex Social Security claims.

• Recognition & Leadership

Craig’s career achievements span federal law, state government, nonprofit leadership, and disability advocacy. As Counsel and Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, he served as the primary author of two pieces of federal legislation reauthorizing and reforming the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Drug Abuse. As General Counsel for the New York State Office for the Aging, he directed a statewide legal services program and authored numerous state laws affecting older New Yorkers. He has served as Executive Director of the American Accounting Association and of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA), and his Board Certified Social Security Attorney designation reflects the professional distinction he has earned in his disability practice. His Georgetown Law Journal editorship and his Princeton Cum Laude distinction anchor an academic record of the highest caliber.

• Professional Involvement

Craig’s professional involvement has encompassed federal legislative drafting, state government counsel work, association executive leadership, economics publication, and disability advocacy. He wrote a column on legal ethics for the Sarasota County Bar Association newsletter and authored labor relations content for the Dow Jones-Irwin Business Almanac (1977 and 1978), as well as monthly columns and annual summaries of significant labor decisions for the Monthly Labor Review during his tenure as an Economist with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At NOSSCR, he has presented at national conferences in Washington, D.C. and New Orleans on federal court appeals strategy and the treatment of drug and alcohol abuse disabilities — topics that draw on the deep policy and legal background he has accumulated across a uniquely varied career.

• Experience

Craig Polhemus brings one of the most richly varied professional backgrounds in the Social Security disability field. His career began with economics scholarship at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, progressed through federal legislative work as Counsel and Staff Director of the Senate Subcommittee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse — where he authored legislation reforming NIAAA and NIDA — and continued through service as General Counsel for the New York State Office for the Aging, where he directed statewide elder law services and drafted New York State legislation. He has led two national nonprofit organizations as executive director and written on legal ethics for the Sarasota County Bar. His disability practice, recognized through Board Certification by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, represents the capstone of a career defined by exceptional public service, legislative impact, and intellectual range. His NOSSCR speaking record reflects a practitioner who continues to bring that breadth of experience to the advancement of the disability advocacy profession.

 

Stephen Sloan, Esq., Attorney | Osterhout Berger Daley Law Firm

Stephen Sloan is a Social Security disability attorney at Osterhout Berger Daley Law Firm with extensive experience at both the administrative and federal court levels of review. He has represented clients in hundreds of administrative hearings and has briefed cases at the district court level in every appellate circuit outside of the D.C. Circuit — a geographic and jurisdictional reach that is exceptionally rare among disability practitioners. He has also argued cases before the Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals. Stephen served as the 2019–2020 chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Social Security Committee, co-chaired NOSSCR’s NextGen Committee in 2025, and has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2018.

• Education & Credentials

Stephen is a licensed attorney whose credentials are defined by an extraordinary breadth of federal court experience across virtually every appellate circuit in the country. His record of briefing Social Security disability cases at the district court level in every appellate circuit outside the D.C. Circuit, combined with his oral argument experience in the Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits, reflects a depth of appellate practice that few disability attorneys anywhere can match. His annual Super Lawyers Rising Star recognition since 2018 provides consistent independent validation of his professional standing among his peers. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Stephen has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2018 — a peer-nominated distinction that reflects sustained recognition of his talent and professional impact over nearly a decade. He served as chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Social Security Committee in 2019–2020 and as co-chair of NOSSCR’s NextGen Committee in 2025, demonstrating leadership at both the local and national levels of the disability bar. His oral argument experience across four federal circuit courts and his district court briefing record spanning virtually every circuit in the country reflect a practitioner whose recognition is grounded in a genuinely exceptional appellate litigation record.

• Professional Involvement

Stephen is deeply engaged in the disability advocacy professional community at both the local and national levels. He chaired the Chicago Bar Association’s Social Security Committee in 2019–2020 and co-chaired NOSSCR’s NextGen Committee in 2025 — a committee focused on developing the next generation of Social Security claimants’ representatives. He has participated in speaking engagements for numerous organizations, sharing his federal court expertise with practitioners across the country. His involvement across bar associations, NOSSCR leadership, and national speaking reflects a commitment to the profession that runs alongside his active and expansive litigation practice.

• Experience

Stephen Sloan has built one of the most expansive federal court disability litigation practices in the country. At Osterhout Berger Daley Law Firm, he has represented clients in hundreds of administrative hearings while simultaneously developing a federal court practice that spans district court briefing in every appellate
circuit outside the D.C. Circuit and oral argument in the Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits. This combination of administrative depth and appellate breadth is rare in the disability bar and positions him as one of the field’s most versatile and accomplished federal litigators. His Chicago Bar Association Social Security Committee chairmanship, his NOSSCR NextGen Committee co-chairmanship, and his unbroken string of Super Lawyers Rising Star recognitions since 2018 round out a career defined by both individual excellence and sustained investment in the disability advocacy profession.

 

Kevin S. Kerr, Esq., Senior Partner | Kerr Robichaux & Carroll Law Office

Kevin S. Kerr is the senior partner at Kerr Robichaux & Carroll Law Office, a Social Security disability firm representing claimants at all levels throughout the western states. He has practiced in Social Security disability law since 2009 and has personally appeared at more than 4,000 Social Security administrative law judge hearings — one of the highest hearing volumes in the disability bar. He has also handled hundreds of federal court appeals in Oregon, Washington, and the Ninth Circuit. In addition to his disability practice, Kevin represents veterans and is a member of the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates. He currently serves as a NOSSCR Board Member representing the Ninth Circuit and has presented nine times at the NOSSCR National Conference alongside his partner, Sara Rose Carroll.

• Education & Credentials

Kevin is a licensed attorney who has concentrated his practice in Social Security disability law since 2009, building credentials defined by an extraordinary volume of hearing and appellate experience across the western United States. His membership in the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates reflects an additional accreditation that authorizes and recognizes his representation of veterans in benefits matters. His Ninth Circuit federal court practice, his 4,000-plus ALJ hearing appearances, and his NOSSCR Board service reflect a practitioner whose credentials are grounded in sustained, high-volume, multi-jurisdictional engagement with the disability adjudication system at every level. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Kevin serves as a NOSSCR Board Member representing the Ninth Circuit — a leadership role that places him among the national voices shaping policy and practice standards for Social Security claimants’ representatives across the country. His nine NOSSCR National Conference presentations reflect a sustained commitment to professional education at the highest level of the disability bar. His volume of more than 4,000 ALJ hearing appearances, combined with his hundreds of federal court appeals across Oregon, Washington, and the Ninth Circuit, represents a career achievement that few practitioners in any region can match — and one that speaks directly to the depth of trust his clients and colleagues place in his advocacy.

• Professional Involvement

Kevin’s professional involvement spans NOSSCR board governance, national conference speaking, veterans’ advocacy, and firm leadership. As NOSSCR’s Ninth Circuit Board Member, he represents the
interests of western states practitioners at the national level while contributing to the organization’s leadership and policy work. As a member of the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates, he extends his disability expertise to veterans navigating the benefits system. His nine NOSSCR conference presentations — delivered alongside Sara Rose Carroll — reflect a deep investment in sharing the practical knowledge his high-volume practice has generated with practitioners across the country.

• Experience

Since beginning his Social Security disability practice in 2009, Kevin Kerr has accumulated one of the most substantial hearing and appellate records in the western disability bar. More than 4,000 ALJ hearing appearances and hundreds of federal court appeals across Oregon, Washington, and the Ninth Circuit represent a body of practical experience that spans every complexity and nuance the Social Security disability process presents. As senior partner at Kerr Robichaux & Carroll, he has built a firm that represents claimants throughout the western states — a regional reach that reflects both organizational capacity and deep geographic expertise. His veterans’ representation work, his NOSSCR board service, and his nine national conference presentations complete a picture of a practitioner as invested in the profession as in his own caseload.

 

Sara Rose Carroll, Esq., Partner | Kerr Robichaux & Carroll Law Office

Sara Rose Carroll has been a partner at Kerr Robichaux & Carroll Law Office since 2018, where she represents Social Security disability claimants throughout the western states. An experienced hearing advocate and thoughtful practitioner, Sara brings a distinctive philosophy to her work: her primary goal as a disability attorney is to make her clients real to the judges who decide their cases — ensuring that the human dimensions of disability are never lost in the mechanics of the adjudication process. She has presented nine times at the NOSSCR National Conference alongside her partner, Kevin S. Kerr, establishing herself as a recognized national voice in the Social Security disability community.

• Education & Credentials

Sara is a licensed attorney and partner at one of the western states’ leading Social Security disability firms, with years of experience representing claimants at the administrative hearing level and beyond. Her nine NOSSCR national conference presentations reflect a substantive expertise in Social Security disability law and practice that her colleagues across the country have consistently sought out. Her philosophy of making clients real to judges — grounding legal advocacy in the full human context of each claimant’s life and limitations — reflects a sophisticated and empathetic approach to hearing advocacy that defines her practice. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Sara’s nine presentations at the NOSSCR National Conference reflect consistent recognition of her expertise and her ability to communicate meaningfully with practitioners at the highest level of the disability bar. Her partnership at Kerr Robichaux & Carroll since 2018 reflects the professional trust her firm and clients place in her advocacy. Her distinctive practice philosophy — centered on making clients real to judges — has resonated with practitioners across the country who recognize that the most technically sound cases are won when adjudicators connect with the human beings behind the medical records and work histories.

• Professional Involvement

Sara is an active contributor to the national Social Security disability community through her speaking at NOSSCR national conferences, where she has presented nine times alongside Kevin Kerr. Her engagement reflects a practitioner who invests not only in her own clients but in the broader practice community — sharing insights from her hearing advocacy work and her approach to humanizing the claimant experience before administrative law judges. Her role as a partner at Kerr Robichaux & Carroll also involves mentoring and shaping the firm’s approach to client representation across the western states.

• Experience

Sara Rose Carroll has been a partner at Kerr Robichaux & Carroll since 2018, developing a practice grounded in extensive hearing experience and a deeply held commitment to humanistic advocacy. She approaches each case with the conviction that effective disability representation requires more than technical mastery of the Social Security rules — it requires helping judges see and understand the real person whose life is affected by the outcome. That philosophy, combined with her command of disability law and procedure, has made her an effective advocate for her clients and a compelling voice at nine NOSSCR national conferences. Her career reflects a practitioner who brings intellectual rigor and genuine empathy to every hearing, brief, and professional presentation she undertakes.

 

Audrey C. Dolmovich, Esq., Partner | Eric Buchanan & Associates

Audrey C. Dolmovich is a partner at Eric Buchanan & Associates and a passionate advocate dedicated to representing individuals denied insurance benefits. Her practice is defined by a one-on-one approach to legal representation — centered on understanding each client’s unique circumstances and building the kind of strong attorney-client relationships that effective advocacy requires. Audrey joined the firm after graduating from Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, where she served as Executive Director of Service, Witness Coordinator for the Mockingbird National Trial Competition, and a board member of the Board of Advocates. She also gained hands-on dispute resolution experience through volunteer mediation work in small claims court in Montgomery, Alabama. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Legal Studies, from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

• Education & Credentials

Audrey earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, before earning her Juris Doctor from Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. At Jones School of Law, she was deeply engaged in both advocacy and service — serving as Executive Director of Service, Witness Coordinator for the Mockingbird National Trial Competition, and a board member of the Board of Advocates. Her volunteer work as a mediator in the school’s mediation clinic in small claims court in Montgomery, Alabama provided practical dispute resolution training that complements her litigation-focused legal education and informs her client-centered approach to representation.

• Recognition & Leadership

Audrey’s elevation to partner at Eric Buchanan & Associates reflects the firm’s confidence in her advocacy and her client-centered approach to insurance benefits litigation. Her law school record — serving simultaneously as Executive Director of Service, Witness Coordinator for a national trial competition, and a board member of the Board of Advocates — demonstrates the leadership and organizational capacity she has brought to her legal career from its earliest stages. Her volunteer mediation work in small claims court adds a collaborative, problem-solving dimension to a professional profile defined by advocacy, leadership, and service.

• Professional Involvement

As a partner at Eric Buchanan & Associates, Audrey’s professional involvement centers on representing individuals who have been wrongfully denied insurance benefits — a practice that demands both technical command of insurance and disability law and the interpersonal skills to guide clients through what are often the most difficult periods of their lives. Her one-on-one approach to representation reflects a deliberate professional philosophy: that understanding each client’s unique challenges is not just good client service but the foundation of effective legal advocacy. Her law school leadership in trial competition coordination and student advocacy organizations laid the groundwork for a practice defined by preparation, connection, and care.

• Experience

Audrey Dolmovich joined Eric Buchanan & Associates after a law school career marked by substantial leadership and practical legal training at Faulkner’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. Her roles as Executive Director of Service, Mockingbird National Trial Competition Witness Coordinator, and Board of Advocates board member reflect an engaged and capable law student who arrived at her firm already steeped in advocacy, competition, and service. Her mediation clinic experience in Montgomery small claims court added a practical dispute resolution foundation to her trial-focused training. As a partner at Eric Buchanan & Associates, she brings that full preparation to the representation of clients denied insurance benefits — combining legal rigor with the genuine human connection that defines her approach to every case she handles.

 

Deondra Sexton, Esq., Attorney | Martin, Jones & Piemonte

Deondra Sexton is an attorney at Martin, Jones & Piemonte, licensed to practice law in the State of South Carolina. Before entering private practice, she spent over a decade with the Social Security Administration, where she held progressively responsible roles including Claims Representative, Technical Expert, and Operations Supervisor. As a Technical Expert, she provided authoritative interpretations of Social Security policy, law, and regulations to staff, and she created workflow systems that streamlined the processing and adjudication of claims across online, mail, and in-office channels. She is also notable for establishing the procedures for the first appeals unit in the Charlotte, NC field office. Her prior litigation experience spans criminal and civil matters, and she has volunteered as homeless court counsel for participants in the Rock Hill, South Carolina Homeless Court program.

• Education & Credentials

Deondra is a licensed attorney in the State of South Carolina whose credentials are distinguished by over a decade of institutional experience inside the Social Security Administration before her transition to private practice. Her roles as Claims Representative, Technical Expert, and Operations Supervisor gave her a practitioner’s command of Title II of the Social Security Act from the inside — an expertise that few disability attorneys can claim. Her Technical Expert designation within SSA required her to provide definitive, authoritative interpretations of Social Security policy, law, regulations, and administrative procedures, reflecting a depth of agency knowledge that directly benefits the clients she now represents. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Deondra’s most distinctive professional achievement may be her creation and establishment of the procedures for the first appeals unit in the Charlotte, North Carolina SSA field office — a systemic innovation that reduced processing time and improved the handling of appeals for claimants across the region. Her advancement through multiple leadership roles at SSA, including Operations Supervisor and Technical Expert, reflects the institutional recognition she earned during her decade-plus of federal service. Her volunteer work as homeless court counsel in Rock Hill, South Carolina demonstrates a commitment to access to justice that extends beyond her paid practice and reflects the values that define her approach to legal representation.

• Professional Involvement

Deondra’s professional involvement spans disability law, criminal and civil litigation, community legal services, and SSA staff development. During her tenure at SSA, she supervised, mentored, and trained staff, managers, supervisors, and community partners in matters related to Title II — a training and mentorship role that gave her broad engagement with the full range of Social Security operational and adjudication issues. In her volunteer capacity, she has served as homeless court counsel in Rock Hill’s Homeless Court program, providing legal representation to some of the community’s most vulnerable individuals. At Martin, Jones & Piemonte, she brings that combined institutional expertise and community commitment to the representation of disability claimants.

• Experience

Deondra Sexton’s path to disability advocacy runs directly through the Social Security Administration, where she spent over a decade in roles that gave her an insider’s understanding of how SSA processes, adjudicates, and resolves claims. As a Claims Representative, Technical Expert, and Operations Supervisor, she worked at every level of the agency’s field operations — interpreting policy, designing workflows, training staff, and building specialty units, including the first appeals unit in the Charlotte, NC field office. That experience is rare and invaluable in a disability attorney: she knows the system not just from the claimant’s side of the table but from the institutional perspective of the agency itself. Combined with her licensed practice in South Carolina, her criminal and civil litigation background, and her volunteer homeless court advocacy, Deondra brings to Martin, Jones & Piemonte a depth and range of experience that is as distinctive as it is formidable.

 

Antoine James, Esq., Managing Attorney | Homeless Action Center

Antoine James is the Managing Attorney at the Homeless Action Center in Oakland, California, where he has dedicated more than 11 years to serving low-income individuals and people experiencing homelessness. His practice covers all levels of the Social Security disability application and appeals process as well as public benefits matters — from initial applications through administrative hearings and federal court review. In addition to his direct client advocacy, Antoine manages a team of staff attorneys, providing leadership and supervision that multiplies the organization’s capacity to serve Oakland’s most vulnerable residents.

• Education & Credentials

Antoine is a licensed attorney with over 11 years of concentrated experience in Social Security disability law and public benefits advocacy on behalf of low-income and homeless individuals. His credentials are defined by sustained, mission-driven practice at one of the Bay Area’s most respected legal aid organizations, where he has developed deep expertise in navigating the full range of Social Security disability adjudication levels — from initial claims through the most complex administrative appeals. His managing attorney role reflects both his legal expertise and his organizational leadership capabilities. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Antoine’s advancement to Managing Attorney at the Homeless Action Center reflects the organization’s trust in both his legal expertise and his capacity to lead and develop other attorneys. Over more than 11 years of service, he has built a practice defined by depth, consistency, and commitment to one of the most underserved populations in the disability advocacy space — individuals experiencing homelessness, whose complex medical, housing, and social circumstances make their Social Security claims among the most challenging to develop and win. His supervisory role over staff attorneys positions him as a key institutional leader in the Bay Area’s public interest disability advocacy community.

• Professional Involvement

At the Homeless Action Center, Antoine is engaged in direct representation, staff leadership, and the broader mission of expanding access to public benefits for Oakland’s low-income and homeless population. His work spans the full Social Security disability process as well as public benefits matters, giving him a comprehensive view of the legal and systemic challenges his clients face. As managing attorney, he supervises and mentors staff attorneys — investing in the professional development of the legal team while ensuring that the organization’s clients receive consistent, high-quality representation. His more than 11 years of uninterrupted service to this population reflects a deep personal and professional commitment to access to justice for those most often left behind.

• Experience

Antoine James has spent his entire legal career — more than 11 years — at the Homeless Action Center in Oakland, where he has built one of the most specialized and sustained practices in Social Security disability advocacy for homeless and low-income individuals in the Bay Area. His experience spans every level of the Social Security disability process and extends into public benefits law, giving him a holistic command of the legal landscape his clients must navigate. As Managing Attorney, he leads a team of staff attorneys while continuing his own direct advocacy work — a dual role that reflects both his individual expertise and his organizational leadership. His career is a testament to the kind of sustained, mission-driven commitment that defines the best of public interest legal advocacy.

 

Sharmine Persaud, Esq., Social Security Disability, Workers’ Compensation & Veterans’ Benefits Attorney

Sharmine Persaud is a New York-based attorney whose practice is solely dedicated to representing injured and disabled individuals. Born and raised in London, England, she earned her undergraduate degree from Long Island University (1986) and her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law (1989), and has been licensed to practice in New York since 1990. She has represented Social Security disability claimants since 1991, injured workers since 1994, and service-connected veterans and their families since 2009. Sharmine is admitted to the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims, and the Supreme Court of the United States. She has served as a NOSSCR Second Circuit Board Member and as Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Social Security Disability and Workers’ Compensation Committee.

• Education & Credentials

Sharmine holds a Bachelor’s degree from Long Island University (1986) and a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law (1989). She has been admitted to practice in New York since 1990 and is admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims (admitted December 4, 2012), and the Supreme Court of the United States (admitted June 2001). Her multi-court admissions across Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and workers’ compensation forums reflect a career of broad and sustained federal practice on behalf of injured and disabled clients.

• Recognition & Leadership

Sharmine was elected to serve as NOSSCR’s Second Circuit Board Member from 2011 to 2013, reflecting her standing among Social Security disability practitioners in the region. She also served as Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Social Security Disability and Workers’ Compensation Committee from 2009 to 2011 — a dual leadership role that reflects her expertise across both areas of disability and injury law. Her admissions to the Supreme Court of the United States and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims, combined with more than three decades of dedicated advocacy for injured workers, disabled claimants, and veterans, represent a career of exceptional breadth and sustained professional distinction.

• Professional Involvement

Sharmine is an active member of NOSSCR and served as the organization’s elected Second Circuit Board Member from 2011 to 2013. She is also a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association, where she led the Social Security Disability and Workers’ Compensation Committee as Co-Chair from 2009 to 2011. Her practice encompasses Social Security disability representation from initial application through federal court, workers’ compensation advocacy, and veterans’ benefits representation — three distinct but complementary areas of law united by her commitment to the injured and disabled individuals she has served throughout her career.

• Experience

Sharmine Persaud has devoted her entire legal career — spanning more than three decades — exclusively to representing injured and disabled individuals. She has handled Social Security disability claims since 1991, workers’ compensation matters since 1994, and veterans’ benefits cases since 2009, building one of Long Island’s most comprehensive disabled-individual practices. Her federal court admissions span the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Second Circuit, the Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims, and the Supreme Court of the United States, reflecting the full arc of her advocacy from administrative hearings to the nation’s highest court. Her NOSSCR board service, bar association leadership, and decades of consistent client advocacy reflect a career defined by unwavering commitment to the people who need legal representation most.

 

Erin Stackenwalt, Esq., Partner | Troutman & Troutman, P.C.

Erin Stackenwalt is a partner at Troutman & Troutman, P.C. in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she has practiced Social Security disability law for 20 years. She became a partner in 2021 alongside firm founders Gayle Troutman and Steve Troutman. Her practice is exclusively focused on representing claimants before the Social Security Administration and on federal court appellate advocacy of Social Security claims. Erin earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma and her Juris Doctor with highest honor from the University of Tulsa College of Law (2006), where she was recognized with multiple awards for academic excellence and service. She is admitted to practice before the Eastern, Western, and Northern Districts of Oklahoma, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States, and is a sustaining member of NOSSCR.

• Education & Credentials

Erin holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and a Juris Doctor, with highest honor, from the University of Tulsa College of Law (2006). At Tulsa Law, she received the CALI Award of Excellence in Contracts, Constitutional Law, and Conflict of Laws; was voted Outstanding Senior Staff Member of the Energy Law Journal; was a member of Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity; and was awarded the Order of the Curule Chair for outstanding academic achievement and service to the Law School. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Western, and Northern Districts of Oklahoma, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States — a breadth of federal admissions that reflects the appellate depth of her Social Security practice.

• Recognition & Leadership

Erin’s academic record at the University of Tulsa College of Law was marked by consistent distinction: graduating with highest honor, earning three CALI Awards of Excellence, receiving the Order of the Curule Chair, and being recognized as Outstanding Senior Staff Member of the Energy Law Journal. Her elevation to partner at Troutman & Troutman in 2021 — after 15 years with the firm — reflects the deep professional trust Gayle and Steve Troutman have placed in her expertise and leadership. Her Supreme Court admission and her Tenth Circuit appellate practice reflect the highest tier of federal litigation credentials, and her sustaining NOSSCR membership reflects a sustained commitment to the national disability advocacy community.

• Professional Involvement

Erin’s professional involvement is concentrated in Social Security disability representation and federal appellate advocacy, with a practice exclusively dedicated to claimants before the SSA and in federal court. As a sustaining member of NOSSCR, she maintains active engagement with the national organization for Social Security claimants’ representatives. Her admissions to all three Oklahoma federal districts and the Tenth Circuit reflect a practice with broad jurisdictional reach across the region, and her Supreme Court admission speaks to the appellate ambition and capability that define her advocacy at Troutman & Troutman.

• Experience

Erin Stackenwalt has practiced Social Security disability law at Troutman & Troutman, P.C. for 20 years, building a career of exceptional focus and depth in a single, specialized area of federal law. Her practice is exclusively devoted to SSA claimant representation and federal court appellate advocacy — a concentration that has produced the kind of deep expertise that comes only from sustained, single-minded commitment to one area of practice. Admitted to all three Oklahoma federal districts, the Tenth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States, she handles the full appellate arc of Social Security disability litigation at the highest levels. Her 2021 partnership reflects two decades of professional excellence, and her honors law school record — capped by a highest honor degree, three CALI Awards, and the Order of the Curule Chair — provides the academic foundation for a career built on rigorous, precise, and appellate-minded advocacy.

DAY 1, Tuesday, April 21, 2026

I. From Symptoms to RFC: Building Win-Ready Functional Evidence for Hearings and Appeals | 9:00am – 10:15am

Many files are heavy on diagnoses and light on function. This session gives representatives a step-by-step method to convert medical records, claimant testimony, and daily activities into a targeted RFC theory that aligns with the record and the vocational framework. Jason will show how to map symptoms to specific exertional, postural, manipulative, and mental limitations; craft focused provider questionnaires; manage gaps and inconsistent notes; and package the case in a short, judge-friendly prehearing brief. We will cover cross-exam of MEs and VEs, record development for primary care and mental health cases, and post-hearing follow up. Attendees receive templates for a function map, medical source questions, and a two-page brief that moves ALJs from facts to findings.

Speakers: Jason Jenkins

II. Who Gets Paid When You’re Gone? Ethics, Estate Planning & Attorney Fee Rights After Death | 10:15am – 11:30am

This session will explore a complex and often-overlooked topic: What happens to an attorney’s fee after they pass away? With increasing numbers of SSDI/SSI attorneys practicing solo or nearing retirement, planning for posthumous fee distribution is both an ethical and practical concern. The discussion will address federal and state-level guidance—including SSA POMS provisions—while highlighting key differences in ethics rules, probate implications, and firm structures. Attendees will leave with a roadmap for ensuring legal compliance and protecting their legacy, firm, and family.

Speakers: Devina Mistry

III. Don’t Dream It’s Over: Expedited Reinstatement | 11:30am – 12:30pm

Did you know that people who work their way off Social Security disability benefits can get right back on benefits without filing a new application? This session will explore eligibility for Expedited Reinstatement (EXR), how to request EXR, and why some people decide to file a new application instead of requesting EXR.

Speakers: Debora Wagner, Raymond Cebula

Lunch | 12:30pm – 2:00pm

IV. Improving Success at Step 5: VE Guide to ORS in Live Hearings | 2:00pm – 3:15pm

The Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) is the most comprehensive occupational data set ever, commissioned by SSA, developed and maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). VEs use ORS to estimate the job numbers. Each medical factor in ORS is a percentage that reduces jobs. VEs can calculate
estimates of you include all medical evidence. Workscape Analytics software does these calculations for you, live at the hearing, and in seconds. Attorneys can easily cross-examine VEs with data at your fingertips, validate calculations, and introduce any ORS factors from medical evidence. Use this tool for success at Step 5.
Attorneys need a way to evaluate VE testimony live at hearings. Demonstrating the effectiveness of Occupational Requirements Survey software makes that process easily available in seconds. The presentation is about ORS principles, software to do calculations instantly as well as instant information for cross-examination of Vocational Experts.

Speakers: John M. Yent

V. Using Job Data to Win Cases with Mental Limitations | 3:15pm – 4:30pm

Using JobBrowserPro (JBP) for job numbers is not the end of the line for a RFC with mental limitations. VEs using unreduced JBP job numbers in their testimony are only taking into account the mental limitations provided by SVP and GED. For job numbers that accurately reflect the RFC, VEs should reduce the job numbers provided by JBP using other vocational data sources (ORS, OEWS, ONET) to account for the mental limitations in a hypothetical. Learn about key data sources for common mental limitations (e.g. occasional contact with others) and learn how to use this data to hold VEs accountable.

Speakers: Michelle Spadafore, Kevin Liebkemann

VI. Functional Equivalency Mastery: Using Evidence and SSRs to Build Stronger Childhood Claims | 4:30pm – 5:45pm

This mid-level CLE is designed for representatives and attorneys who already understand the basics of childhood SSI cases and want to strengthen their functional equivalency advocacy. The training focuses on identifying the most persuasive evidence for each of the six functional domains—drawing from medical records, school documentation, teacher reports, behavioral data, and caregiver observations—and shows how to apply the SSR 09-series and related rulings to build stronger, more precise arguments. With case examples, attendees will see how to translate SSR guidance into clear, persuasive briefing and hearing strategies.

Speakers: Katherine Courtney, Jen Burdick

 

DAY 2, Wednesday, April 22, 2026

I. The Occupational Employment Quarterly — Let’s End It | 8:30am – 9:45am

Despite the expansion of available data, some vocational witnesses are wedded to the OEQ. We will explore why the OEQ should be categorically rejected because of its foundation in addition to the obvious equal distribution methodology. Flawed from top to bottom, it should never be considered reliable.

Speakers: Lawrence Rohlfing, Russell Rohlfing

II. Step 5: Where Are We Now? | 9:45am – 11:00am

This session will address current pressing step 5 job number issues. Currently that would involve discussing the ORS shortcomings and fallacy that the simple probability method is a scientifically valid methodology of producing valid numbers by examining the science, breaking down statistical terms and concepts. This session will incorporate all recent changes in this rapidly developing area.

Speakers: Meghan Gallo

III. Using Simple Math and SSR 24-3p To Quickly Identify and Explain Conflicts In Step 5 Testimony | 11:00am – 12:00pm

This session will explain how to quickly apply information provided by VEs against them, using three things: 1) simple math, 2) their own preferred system for classifying occupations, and 3) the publications listed in 20 CFR 404.1566(d) and 416.966(d).

Speakers: Robert Tarlock

Lunch | 12:00pm – 1:00pm

IV. General Session | 1:00pm – 4:00pm

This session is available for live streaming to virtual attendees but does not qualify for CLE credit.

We’re honored to welcome the Commissioner of Social Security, Frank Bisignano, as the Keynote Speaker for our General Session.

And that’s not all.

Joining the General Session will be SSA’s Acting Chief of Disability Adjudication, Jay Ortis, for what promises to be an insightful and timely discussion. Direct access. Real updates. Meaningful perspective. This is the kind of programming that shapes how you practice.

 

DAY 3, Thursday, April 23, 2026

I. Mastering Medical File Review with AI | 8:30am – 9:45am

This hands-on session teaches Social Security disability practitioners how to use Anthropic’s Claude to streamline medical file review while maintaining accuracy and ethical compliance. Through a live, step-by-step demonstration, attendees will learn how to upload and structure large medical files, extract diagnoses, medications, test results, and functional findings, build medical summary tables, and identify gaps in the evidence. The session includes a brief ethics component addressing verification and hallucination prevention. Participants will receive a practical prompt toolkit they can immediately use to improve efficiency and consistency in their own administrative practices.

Speakers: Bryan Konoski

II. The Future of Advocacy is Human | 9:45am – 11:00am

In an era of automation, the most powerful innovation in Social Security practice isn’t software, it’s empathy. This session explores how client-centered innovation can strengthen outcomes in disability cases. Using the BUILD Method™, we’ll examine how intentional communication, trauma-informed approaches, and simulation-based training can rebuild trust, improve client cooperation, and enhance representation quality. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to integrate empathy, ethics, and innovation into every stage of their practice.

Speakers: Mindy Yocum

III. Using AI to Attract & Sign New Clients | 11:00am – 12:00pm

Artificial Intelligence represents the most serious challenge to Google’s dominance in over 20 years. How should you modernize your digital marketing so clients can find you through the numerous AI models? And when they call, how can AI empower your team as you help them apply for benefits?

In this session you’ll learn:

• How different AI platforms compare to Google
• How to get featured in answers for AI users
• How to harness AI for faster, more effective client intakes
• What are the dangers of being left behind?
• You don’t need to ask AI if you will profit from this session.

Speakers: Nathan Chapman, James Vancel

Lunch | 12:00pm – 1:30pm

IV. Using the ORS (Occupational Requirements Survey) as a sword and shield in disability hearings | 1:30pm – 2:45pm

Detailing the history, definitions and use of ORS at hearings to defeat vocational witness testimony. The presentation will explain and analyze the history of the ORS, its definitions, critical job functions and job demands, physical vs. mental limitations for RFCS. Real world analysis and presentation of fact scenarios for vocational testimony rebuttal. Also using ORS for post-hearing briefs.

Speakers: Douglas Mohney, Craig Polhemus

V. Breaking the Simulation: Reasserting Human Reality in Disability Adjudication | 2:45pm – 4:00pm

The Social Security disability adjudication process often operates on illusory premises; treating complex human conditions as checkboxes, prioritizing volume over accuracy, and relying on vocational and medical frameworks that rarely reflect the real world. This session pulls back the curtain on how these systemic distortions arise, from the roles and incentives of DDS reviewers to the economics of vocational testimony and the pressures faced by ALJs. Attendees will explore practical strategies for inserting a touch more of the real-world context into an increasingly abstract process—through advocacy, narrative framing, and evidence development that challenge the “gameified” logic of adjudication. Ultimately, this discussion aims to restore what the system too often forgets: the reality of disability and the humanity of those it serves.

Speakers: Stephen Sloan

VI. Who’s Doing the Work? The Ethical Supervision of Staff, Contractors, and Robots | 4:00pm – 5:15pm

We will discuss the ethical rules and considerations for delegating work to associate attorneys, legal assistants, outside third-party contractors, and robots/A.I.

Speakers: Kevin S. Kerr, Sara Rose Carroll

VII. What Social Security attorneys should know about ERISA to help their clients | 5:15pm – 6:30pm

Many clients with a social security claim also have a long term disability claim that falls under ERISA. It is important for SSDI attorneys to know how the claims work together and the differing terms.

Speakers: Audrey Dolmovich

 

DAY 4, Friday, April 24, 2026

I. Evaluation of Work Activity By Self-Employed Persons | 8:30am – 9:45am

This session will cover SSA’s evaluation of work activity for self-employed individuals for SGA purposes which consist of three tests or, when applicable, under the countable income test.

Speakers: Deondra Sexton

II. Attorneys Who Identify as Persons of Color and Vicarious Trauma in Direct Legal Services | 9:45am – 11:00am

Attorneys who identify as people of color unproportionally serve clients who look like them. In other words, the clientele who needs direct legal services predominately serve people who look like them. Over time this can cause dramatic effects on attorneys, particularly in social security advocacy. I want to present about ways attorneys can avoid burnout and serve their communities.

Speakers: Antoine James

III. WC & SSD offset – Why you shouldn’t wait for or ignore the Notice of Award | 11:00am – 12:00pm

How best to prepare your client and your file for SSD & WC offset. Obtaining the client’s Benefit Estimate and getting the FO/DO to provide you with the ICERS, DEQY & SEQY. If you win your client’s case, how will you explain the offset between SSD & WC? If you knew your client’s SSD benefits were totally offset by WC, would you take the case? How do you explain to your client his/her children will not receive AUX benefits due to an offset? What about child support, you will get paid but your client will not.

Speakers: Sharmine Persaud, Erin Stackenwalt