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

Thomas A. Krause, Esq., Social Security Disability Attorney & Brief Writer

Thomas A. (Tom) Krause has represented claimants seeking Social Security disability benefits for more than 40 years. He spent 20 years working for Legal Services programs in Iowa and Minnesota before transitioning to 21 years in private practice, where he focused primarily on federal court appeals of disability claims. After serving as NOSSCR’s Litigation Director, he has returned to brief writing. A Sustaining Member of NOSSCR for 30 years, Tom served on the NOSSCR Board of Directors for eight years and has presented at numerous national and regional conferences throughout his career.

• Education & Credentials
  • Tom Krause is a licensed attorney with more than 40 years of experience in Social Security disability law, spanning legal services practice, private practice, organizational leadership, and appellate brief writing. His deep specialization in federal court appeals of disability claims, combined with his tenure as NOSSCR Litigation Director, reflects a career of sustained expertise and professional distinction in one of the most technically demanding areas of disability advocacy. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)
• Recognition & Leadership
  • Tom has been a Sustaining Member of NOSSCR for 30 years and served on its Board of Directors for eight years — a significant leadership contribution to the nation’s premier organization for Social Security claimants’ representatives. His service as NOSSCR Litigation Director placed him at the center of the organization’s most complex and consequential advocacy work. He has presented at numerous NOSSCR national conferences, Eighth Circuit Social Security Disability Law conferences, Legal Aid presentations, and Minnesota State Bar Section meetings, establishing him as a trusted and widely respected voice in the Social Security disability bar.
• Professional Involvement
  • Tom has been deeply engaged in professional education and organizational leadership throughout his career. He has presented at NOSSCR national conferences, Eighth Circuit Social Security Disability Law conferences, Legal Aid gatherings, and Minnesota State Bar Section meetings — a breadth of speaking engagements that reflects his commitment to elevating practice standards across the field. His eight years on the NOSSCR Board and his tenure as Litigation Director further demonstrate a career defined not only by individual client advocacy but by sustained investment in the health and advancement of the disability advocacy profession.
• Experience
  • Tom Krause’s 40-plus-year career in Social Security disability law encompasses legal services practice in Iowa and Minnesota, two decades of private practice focused on federal court disability appeals, organizational leadership as NOSSCR Litigation Director, and a return to the brief writing work that has defined much of his professional legacy. His combination of legal aid roots, federal appellate expertise, and
    national organizational leadership gives him one of the most comprehensive and well-rounded careers in the Social Security disability bar. His 30-year NOSSCR Sustaining Membership and eight years of board service reflect the depth of his commitment to the profession and the respect he has earned from colleagues across the country.

Beth Bates, Senior Managing Attorney

Beth Bates is a Senior Staff Attorney at West Tennessee Legal Services, where she has worked for more than two decades representing individuals in matters involving Social Security disability benefits and public benefits advocacy. Her practice focuses on Social Security disability cases, TennCare medical services appeals, and management of a Food Stamp/SNAP outreach program that helps eligible individuals access benefits. A Board Certified Social Security Disability Specialist, Ms. Bates has demonstrated significant commitment to professional excellence through certification and advocacy efforts aimed at improving access to benefits for vulnerable populations. She also collaborates with other advocates to expand categorical eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and to promote the use of medical source statements by treating physicians during disability evaluations.

• Education & Credentials
  • Beth Bates earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Mississippi College for Women and later received her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee. Ms. Bates is also a Board Certified Social Security Disability Specialist, certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, reflecting advanced expertise and recognized competence in Social Security disability law.
• Recognition & Leadership
  • Ms. Bates has achieved board certification through the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a rigorous credential that requires demonstrated trial experience, peer and judicial references, continuing legal education, and proof of professional standing. She has also held leadership roles within the legal community, including serving as past president of the Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women from 2015 to 2016. In addition, she is a Life Fellow of both the Tennessee Bar Foundation and the American Bar Foundation, honors recognizing professional achievement and service to the legal profession.
• Professional Involvement
  • Ms. Bates maintains active involvement in several professional legal organizations. She is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and serves on the Disability Law Section Executive Committee. She is also affiliated with the Lawyers Association for Women Anne Schneider Chapter and participates in the Howell Edmunds Jackson American Inn of Court as a Master and Co-Chair of the Membership Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives and has served on the Distinguished Service Award Committee.
• Experience
  • Beth Bates has worked for 21 years at West Tennessee Legal Services as a Senior Staff Attorney. Her legal practice concentrates on Social Security disability representation, TennCare Medicaid medical services appeals, and administration of the organization’s Food Stamp/SNAP outreach program. In addition to her direct advocacy work, she collaborates with other advocates to expand categorical eligibility for SNAP benefits and to increase the use of medical source statements from treating physicians during disability determinations conducted by state agencies. She has also written columns on Social Security law for the The Jackson Sun and presented continuing legal education programs for the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and the Tennessee Bar Association.

I. NONPROFIT MEETING | 11:00am – 12:00pm

This informal session brings together NOSSCR members who work in nonprofit and legal services organizations for a collaborative discussion with fellow advocates and NOSSCR leadership. It’s an opportunity to share ideas, discuss common challenges, and connect with others who understand the unique realities of representing Social Security claimants in the nonprofit setting.

Participants are encouraged to raise questions, highlight pain points, and offer feedback about how NOSSCR can better support nonprofit members, through resources, programming, and advocacy. Come ready to exchange ideas, learn from your peers, and help shape how NOSSCR can best serve the nonprofit community.