Cross-Examining the Medical Expert – NOSSCR 2026 Fall National Conference – Track I (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)
Jacob Hugentobler is a fifth-year Hearing attorney at the Packard Law Firm in San Antonio, Texas.
1 hour CLE
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Program Summary
The RFC You Got Isn't the RFC You Have to Keep
The medical expert's RFC can sink a case — but an unhelpful RFC is a starting point, not a verdict. Jacob's practical advice is aimed at exactly this: flipping an unhelpful RFC into a potentially disabling one, through cross-examination that is built before the hearing ever starts.
The key is preparation, in three parts. Prepare the file, so the cross has its foundation. Research your witness, so you know who you are questioning. Practice leading questions, so the examination goes where you send it. Walk in without the three, and the RFC stands as written.
The session also covers the reports that arrive unhelpful before the hearing: what you can do with an unhelpful IMCE or Psyche CE report. You walk out with a practical method for the medical-expert cross — file, witness, questions — and a plan for the bad report.
Eligible for up to 1 CLE Credit Hour
This session was originally submitted for CLE as a live, in-person presentation and a live webcast for the 2026 Fall National Conference and may be eligible for self-study credit. Each state handles self-study credit differently; for questions, please consult your State Bar Association.
Recorded Friday, October 16, 2026.
Key topics to be discussed:
- Flipping the RFC
Turning an unhelpful RFC into a potentially disabling one through cross-examination. - Preparing the File
Building the foundation for the medical-expert cross before the hearing. - Researching Your Witness
Knowing the medical expert you will be questioning. - Practicing Leading Questions
Rehearsing the leading questions that steer the examination. - The Unhelpful IMCE
What you can do when the IMCE report comes back unhelpful. - The Unhelpful Psyche CE
Options for responding to an unhelpful Psyche CE report.
This course is co-sponsored with myLawCLE.
Date / Time: October 16, 2026
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Eastern
- 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Central
- 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Mountain
- 10:00 am – 11:00 am Pacific
Closed-captioning available
Speakers
Jacob Hugentobler, Hearing Attorney | Packard Law Firm
Jacob Hugentobler is a fifth-year Hearing attorney at the Packard Law Firm in San Antonio, Texas.
- Education & Credentials
He earned his B.A. from Trinity University in 2013 and his J.D. from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2019, where he received the Excellence in Professionalism and Leadership honor. Licensed in Texas since October 2019, he is admitted to all four U.S. District Courts in the state.
- Recognition & Leadership
He was recognized for conducting his thousandth Social Security Administration hearing in 2025 and has been included in Marquis Who’s Who.
- Professional Involvement
He is a member of the San Antonio Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, NOSSCR, and Advocates, Counselors & Representatives for the Disabled, and volunteers as an attorney with Morgan’s MultiAssistance Center.
- Experience
He has tried over 1,500 cases and prevailed in 65% of them. Jacob has also secured remands for cases in the Western District of Texas–the first in his firm’s history. In the last three years, Jacob has impeached over 100 vocational witnesses using lessons learned from previous NOSSCR speakers and George Piemont’s monthly article, “Piemont’s Perspective.”
Agenda
SESSION 1 – Cross-Examining the Medical Expert | 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Jacob’s practical advice will help flip an unhelpful RFC into a potentially disabling one. The key is to prepare the file, research your witness, and practice leading questions. Also included are what you can do with an unhelpful IMCE or Psyche CE report.
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