Using Simple Math and SSR 24-3p To Quickly Identify and Explain Conflicts in Step 5 Testimony – 2026 Spring National Conference – Track II (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

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.

I. 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).