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

Shannon Bennett, Associate Attorney | Robertson Wendt Disability

Shannon Bennett practices social security disability in Charleston, SC.

• Education & Credentials

She is barred South Carolina and North Carolina.

She earned her J.D. from the Charleston School of Law in 2020, graduating cum laude, and holds a B.A. in psychology from Indiana University (2017) with a minor in criminal justice.

• Professional Involvement

She is a member of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association, and the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR).

• Experience

She has been doing disability for 6 years and was trained by a board-certified attorney. Shannon practices at all administrative levels and handles cases at the district court level. When Shannon is not at work, she spends her time with her husband and dog Mac at the beach.

Jonathan A. Heeps, Managing Attorney | Martin, Jones, and Piemonte

Jonathan A. Heeps is the Managing Attorney at Martin, Jones, and Piemonte.

• Education & Credentials

Mr. Heeps received his undergraduate degree from Texas Wesleyan University in 2006 and his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 2010.

• Professional Involvement

Mr. Heeps is a sustaining member of NOSSCR.

• Experience

Prior to joining MJP he had his own private practice for 10 years. He has represented thousands of claimants before the Social Security Administration since 2010. Mr. Heeps has represented disability claimants at hearings and in federal court.

David W. Kapor, Founder & Managing Partner | Kapor Law, LLC

45 years representing claimants; 28 years as Chairperson of the Cincinnati Bar Association’s Social Security Practice Committee; 28 years of chairing the local annual Social Security Seminar; presentations to medical practices, hospitals and social services agencies on SSA law that qualified for Continuing Medical Education in the State of Ohio. Resume and CV available.

• Education & Credentials

He holds a J.D. from The John Marshall Law School and is licensed in Ohio and Illinois.

• Recognition & Leadership

He was selected to Super Lawyers for 2011–2013.

• Professional Involvement

He is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR), the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the American Association for Justice.

• Experience

He founded his Cincinnati disability practice, now operating as Kapor Law, LLC, and has represented disabled individuals before the Social Security Administration for more than 40 years.

Meredith Marcus, Partner | Osterhout Berger Daley

Meredith is an attorney with over sixteen years of experience in disability law.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her J.D., cum laude, in 2010 and holds a B.A. from Connecticut College (2004). She is admitted in Illinois (2010) and Michigan (2020) and before the U.S. Supreme Court (2018), among other federal courts.

• Recognition & Leadership

Marcus is also the present editor of the textbook, Social Security Disability Practice by James Publishing.

• Professional Involvement

She is the prior Director at Large for the National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR), the past chair for the Social Security Chicago Bar Association and has participated in multiple speaking engagements on Social Security for the Chicago Bar Association, Michigan Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Business Institute, NOSSCR and NADR.

• Experience

She has represented claimants at their administrative and remand hearings and has represented well over 400 claimants in the federal courts. She has also litigated cases, in both the U.S. District and the Sixth and Seventh Circuit U.S. Courts of Appeals, including Biestek v. Berryhill, 880 F. 3d 778 (2018) in the Sixth Circuit and consultied for the Supreme Court on Biestek v. Berryhill, 139 S. Ct. 1148, 1153, 203 L. Ed. 2d 504 (2019).

Freddrick Effinger, Principal Attorney | Effinger Law

Freddie Effinger, the principle attorney at Effinger Law and Subject Matter Advisor for LexMed.ai, is an experienced advocate in Social Security Disability law, with more than 15 years of expertise in guiding clients through the disability claims process.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2008 and a B.A. from Oberlin College in 2005. He was admitted to the Alabama bar and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in 2009, and has been a registered mediator with the Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution since 2019.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has served as chair of the Disability Section of the Alabama State Bar.

• Professional Involvement

Now, in addition to being a full-time representative for clients, he also teaches Disability Benefits Law at the University of Alabama and Cumberland School of Law and frequently speaks at legal conferences.

• Experience

His career includes diverse legal roles, but he has focused primarily on Social Security Disability since starting at the SSA’s Office of Hearings Operations in 2010 where he worked as an attorney advisor for nine years before representing clients directly. Outside of work, Freddie enjoys spending time with two boys, his fiancee’, his many animal children – including his two dogs, 4 chickens, and two pygmy goats – and pursuing hobbies like writing, karaoke, and “vibe coding”.

Melissa Lanouette, Attorney | Disability Law Group

Melissa Lanouette is a Social Security Disability attorney who has practiced in the Boston area since 2012. Her commitment to serving individuals with disabilities predates her legal career: before law school, she worked at Cape Cod Community College in a program supporting students with disabilities. In her practice, she measures success not only by outcomes but by the difference disability benefits make in a client’s day-to-day life.

• Education & Credentials

Ms. Lanouette holds a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in Boston.

• Recognition & Leadership

Ms. Lanouette has been selected as a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” each year from 2017 through 2025. She was also chosen to participate in the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Leadership Academy cohort.

• Professional Involvement

Ms. Lanouette is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) and of Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled. She volunteers with the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Dial-A-Lawyer program and acts as pro bono counsel to Boston Swing Central.

• Experience

Since 2012, Ms. Lanouette’s Boston-area practice has focused predominantly on Social Security Disability law, representing claimants pursuing benefits through the Social Security Administration. She views every claim as the claimant’s own story of how disability affects the ability to work and live, and she considers helping clients present that story clearly and confidently, while advocating for the benefits they need, a privilege of the practice.

Casey Watts, Associate Attorney | Burgess and Christensen

Casey Watts is an Associate Attorney with Burgess and Christensen in Marietta, Georgia.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and a B.A. in History Teaching from Brigham Young University. She is admitted in Georgia.

• Recognition & Leadership

During law school she served as a Research Editor of the George Mason Law Review.

• Professional Involvement

She further developed this focus through collaboration with Special Needs Trust attorneys and other young adults focused organizations, as well as participation in school and community transition fairs for young adults, where she regularly engages with families navigating the shift into adulthood and work readiness.

• Experience

She first developed an interest in disability law while working as a case manager, and after completing law school, returned to the firm to focus on Appeals Council and Federal Court practice. Her work with uncontested guardianships helped spark a particular interest in young adult disability claims.

Anjel F. Burgess, Managing Attorney | Burgess & Christensen

With A Master’s degree in Gerontology and a pre-medicine background, attorney Anjel F. Burgess brings a unique understanding to the practice of disability law.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her J.D. from the Georgia State University College of Law, a Master’s degree from the University of South Florida, and a Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University. She was admitted to the Georgia bar in 2008.

• Recognition & Leadership

Her skills, knowledge, and experience put her in frequent demand as a speaker with organizations and in the legal and medical fields.

• Professional Involvement

She serves on the board of directors for national, regional, and local nonprofit service entities including The Hypersomnia Foundation, PLAN of Georgia, , Special Needs Cobb and Clubhouse Atlanta.

• Experience

In order to help educate the public about resources available to those living with disabilities, Anjel created a podcast, The DisabiliTEA in which she and her guests hold candid discussions about a variety of issues related to disability.

Robert Gross Tarlock, Associate Attorney | Liner Legal, LLC

Rob is an Associate Attorney, representing numerous disability clients at their administrative hearings.

• Education & Credentials

He graduated from DePaul Law School in Chicago and from Colby College in Waterville, Maine with a degree in American Studies and Literature.

• Professional Involvement

Rob has presented on various aspects of Social Security practice at places such as conferences for the National Organization of Social Security Claimant

Representatives (NOSSCR), the National Business Institute, the Chicago Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association and he has co-authored a presentation on Environmental Justice for Loyola College of Law’s Children’s Legal Rights Journal Symposium.

• Experience

Rob additionally handles administrative appeals in U.S. District Courts and Courts of Appeal throughout the country. He has interned as a clerk at the Northern District Court of Illinois and Daley Circuit Court in Chicago, and he taught in the Chicago Public School system. Prior to becoming an attorney, Rob was a hiphop musician for fifteen years, producing four albums, touring the planet, leading college workshops about the significance of hip- hop culture and working for a number of political campaigns, including voter protection in Western Pennsylvania in the fall of 2008. He still occasionally performs music in Chicago as well as practices in civil court.

Lawrence D. Rohlfing, Founder | Law Offices of Lawrence D. Rohlfing, Inc. CPC

Larry is a 30-year veteran of making presentations before NOSSCR and other organizations and 25 years addressing various fee issues.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from Whittier Law School and has been licensed in California since 1985.

• Recognition & Leadership

He is a past president of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), where he also served as Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President, and is a past chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Social Security Section.

• Professional Involvement

He is a sustaining member of NOSSCR.

• Experience

He successfully argued Crawford v. Astrue, 586 F.3d 1142 (9th Cir. 2009) (en banc) convincing an elevenjudge panel that the lodestar did not apply after the panel violated Gisbrecht.

Sarah H. Bohr, Partner | Bohr & Harrington, LLC

Sarah H. Bohr is an appellate attorney who has specialized in Social Security law for over 40 years and for the past 20 years, has had an appellate practice writing Social Security federal court briefs for lawyers.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her J.D. from the Antioch School of Law in 1977 and a B.A. from the College of Wooster in 1974, and was admitted in the District of Columbia and Florida in 1978.

• Recognition & Leadership

She is a past president of the NOSSCR and a current representative on the Board from the 11th Circuit and a member of its Executive Committee. She is the author of five Social Security publications and her new updated 2026 Editions addressing the Appeals Council, Rulings, Overview of Disability Law, and attorneys fees.

• Professional Involvement

Sarah is a frequent speaker at national and regional Social Security conferences.

• Experience

She learned Social Security law while working at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. for 21 years. Sarah is most proud of her successful argument before the Supreme Court 25 years ago, in Sims v. Apfel, 530 U.S. 103 (2000).

Nikhil Pai, Founder | Chronicle Legal

Nikhil Pai is the founder of Chronicle Legal, the SSD-specific monitoring and analysis platform he built for Social Security disability practices.

• Education & Credentials

He studied at Northwestern University.

• Experience

A technologist by background, Nikhil designed Chronicle to make the SSA’s ERE usable at scale — today it monitors 177,000+ cases and 7.5M+ SSA documents across 2,100+ disability professionals. He works directly with firms, translating the daily operational realities of disability practice into software.

Jonathan Frevola, COO | The Disability Champions

An MBA graduate of Waseda University in Tokyo and current COO at The Disability Champions, Jonathan entered the industry in 2021 during the COVID19 pandemic.

• Professional Involvement

He has also consulted with other lawyers on their use of Prevail.

• Experience

Drowning in mail and disinfectant, he had to quickly concoct new systems to standardize firm procedures and break the cycle of falling behind. He has designed almost all of the firm’s procedures from scratch, ensuring tasks are properly delegated and trackable. On top of that, he has led the charge in introducing new software automations and efficiencies, designing programs that speed up handling of cases so that the team can tackle real problems. Although he is not an attorney, he has what most attorneys lack – an understanding of how to apply technology to manage a business.

Al Frevola, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Attorney | The Disability Champions

Albert “Al” Frevola is Chief Executive Officer and lead attorney for The Disability Champions.

• Education & Credentials

He graduated from University of Miami, magna cum laude, with a business degree in 1987. In 1990, he graduated in the top 5% of his class at University of Miami School of Law.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, an award widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor.

• Experience

Al is a seasoned trial attorney with significant trial experience in federal and state courts and administrative hearings. Al has handled thousands of Social Security disability hearings on behalf of the firm’s clients. Al is married with three children, and he lives in Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida.

Eric L. Buchanan, President | Eric Buchanan & Associates, PLLC

Eric Buchanan represents disabled individuals and policyholders nationwide in ERISA and non-ERISA disputes, focusing on disability insurance, long term disability (LTD), life, and health insurance.

• Education & Credentials

Eric Buchanan is licensed in Tennessee and Georgia and admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Tennessee, the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia, the Northern District of Florida, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims, and the United States Supreme Court.

• Recognition & Leadership

Eric has been recognized with a Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating since 2007, the peer rating for the highest level of professional excellence, and has represented hundreds of clients in federal court cases pursuing disability and insurance benefits.

• Professional Involvement

He regularly teaches other attorneys on topics such as ERISA, disability law, social security law, and related insurance matters. He is also a member of the Senior Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia.

• Experience

Mr. Buchanan represents clients throughout the United States, working alongside local attorneys or following applicable local rules in states where he or other firm attorneys are not admitted.

Ann J. Atkinson, Esq., Solo Practitioner | Ann J. Atkinson, Attorney at Law

Ann J. Atkinson, Esq., has represented claimants in Social Security disability claims since 1986, and is currently a solo practitioner in Parker, Colorado.

• Education & Credentials

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech (Communication) from Northwestern University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Denver College of Law.

• Recognition & Leadership

She was selected as one of Denver’s Top Lawyers by 5280 Magazine for 2015, 2016, and 2017.

• Professional Involvement

She is a past representative from the Tenth Circuit on NOSSCR’s Board of Directors, and also served on the Board of Directors for NOSSCR PAC.

Fritzie E. Vammen, Principal | Fritzie E. Vammen, Attorney at Law, P.A.

Fritzie E. Vammen is a VA-accredited attorney and principal of Fritzie E. Vammen, Attorney at Law, P.A., in Conway, Arkansas, where she concentrates on veterans’ disability law — including TDIU, earlier-effective-date appeals, and litigation before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Arkansas (1978), and was admitted to the Arkansas bar in 1982.

• Professional Involvement

A longtime NOSSCR member, she has previously presented on veterans law at a NOSSCR national conference.

• Experience

She works regularly at the intersection of Social Security and VA disability, helping disabled claimants secure the full range of benefits available to them.

Erica Cortizas | Genex Services, LLC

Since being admitted to practice in 2001, Erica has practiced primarily in the area of Social Security Disability Benefits and Workers Compensation.

• Professional Involvement

She has previously spoken at NOSSCR and FOSSCR conferences and has represented thousands of claimants at hearings.

• Experience

Erica currently works for Genex Services, LLC where she handles mostly referrals from LTD companies, so she has the benefit of being able to appeal a large number of cases to the Appeals Council. Her senior managers are also regular speakers at NOSSCR. Erica appreciates the opportunity to share her findings from Appeals Council decisions since the implementation of SSR 24-3p in January of 2025.

Sarah Deaver, Esq., Senior Director for Disability Programs | Enlyte

Sarah Deaver, Esq. serves as the Senior Director for Disability Programs at Enlyte, where she oversees the entire Social Security program as well as the Disability Absence and Ticket to Work divisions from an operations and customer perspective.

• Education & Credentials

She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Memphis School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Emory University. Sarah is licensed to practice law and a registered nurse in the state of Georgia.

• Recognition & Leadership

Additionally, as the head of legislative affairs with more than 17 years of diversified Social Security experience, she leads the department on emerging enforcement trends and regulatory interpretations before they impact case outcomes. Her workshops on strategic case development have been particularly valuable for her team navigating complex or changing fact patterns in the evolving disability landscape.

• Experience

Drawing from her unique combination of legal practice, nursing expertise, and claims management leadership, Sarah has developed a systematic approach to translating complex regulatory shifts into actionable strategies for practitioners. Working as a licensed attorney and registered nurse, Sarah brings an interdisciplinary perspective to program integrity issues and medical evidence development—offering practitioners a blueprint for excellence in an increasingly complex field.

SESSION 1 – Where to Begin… | 11:00am – 12:00pm

Directed at beginners who are not familiar with SSA terminology and resources for research/help. Would address how to familiarize yourself with SSA disability and process, how to get creative to build a case, and how to deal with clients/DDS/SSA/ALJs/VEs.

Speakers: Shannon Bennett

Break | 12:00pm – 12:15pm 

SESSION 2 – RFC Rehab: Five Ways to Save a Case Before the ALJ Breaks It | 12:15pm – 1:15pm

This session teaches claimant representatives how to solve the “RFC problem” by building functional evidence from intake through hearing. Attendees will learn practical, ethical strategies to identify missing evidence, document cyclical impairments with logs and apps, obtain targeted Micro-MSS and EvidenceAnchored MSS opinions, clarify vague consultative examiner findings, use wearable data and purchase records, consider targeted testing such as gait analysis, develop third-party statements, and prepare clients to testify in vocationally useful terms. The focus is on documenting real limitations ordinary treatment records often miss, strengthening hearing presentation, and preserving appealable error when ALJs ignore or mischaracterize critical RFC evidence.

Speakers: Jonathan Heeps

Break | 1:15pm – 1:30pm 

SESSION 3 – Practice Tips from Intake to Hearing: Laying the Foundation to Win | 1:30pm – 2:30pm

What I do and why I have a 85-90 % success rate: using MyChart to the client’s advantage, coaching the client on obtaining the support of the treating source, preparing the client for the consultative examination, and getting referrals from medical sources.

Speakers: David W. Kapor

LUNCH | 2:30pm – 3:45pm

SESSION 4 – Tidbits from the POMS & HALLEX to Assist at Every Step of the Sequential Process for Hearings | 3:45pm – 4:45pm

With the fact that the HALLEX is being folded into the POMS with some critical changes, it could be helpful to have the right citations but also the critical internal information to assist with wins administratively to preserve these issues for appeal, if needed.

Speakers: Meredith Marcus

Break | 4:45pm – 5:00pm 

SESSION 5 – Say It Better: Coaching Claimants Without Putting Words in Their Mouth | 5:00pm – 6:00pm 

This session focuses on the often-overlooked work that happens before the hearing—the preparation that can make or break a case. We will walk through practical strategies for gathering complete medical records, identifying and addressing “hot button” issues such as treatment gaps, DAA, and amended onset dates, and ensuring the file reflects accurate and consistent information.

The session also dives into effective claimant preparation: how to discuss sensitive topics, guide clients away from overexaggeration or underselling, and help them present their story with clarity, confidence, and dignity. Attendees will learn how to structure pre-hearing calls, reinforce key themes, and conduct meaningful mock hearings, including the use of recorded questions to simulate real hearing conditions.

Attendees will leave with a repeatable framework to better prepare their clients, reduce surprises at hearing, and improve overall case outcomes.

Speakers: Freddrick Effinger

DAY 2, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

SESSION 1 – Practice Tips and Practical Considerations for Handling Child Cases | 11:00am – 12:00pm

This presentation provides a practical overview of handling childhood Supplemental Security Income claims from intake through hearing. It explains the four-step childhood disability evaluation, emphasizing functional equivalence and the six domains of functioning along with practice tips.

Speakers: Melissa Lanouette

Break | 12:00pm – 12:15pm 

SESSION 2 – Launching Into Adulthood: SSI & SSDI for Emerging Adults | 12:15pm – 1:15pm

Young adults with disabilities often fall into a difficult space between school supports and the expectations of competitive employment. They may appear “too able” on paper while remaining unable to sustain competitive work. This presentation will focus on practical strategies for representing young adults, including developing strong non-medical evidence from IEPs, school records, vocational evaluations, and Vocational Rehabilitation services. It will also address technical issues unique to this population, including subsidized work, IRWEs, preserving future DAC eligibility, and protecting SSI eligibility through SNTs and ABLE accounts. Additional discussion will include working effectively with parents, schools, and community providers.

Speakers: Casey Watts & Anjel Burgess

Break | 1:15pm – 1:30pm 

SESSION 3 – The Job is to Shed Light, Not to Master (There is no point unless you make it) | 1:30pm – 2:30pm

Help your clients testify with thematic circularity built from the medical and earnings records to create a narrative that balances passion and practicality, with case development. Through proper storytelling, we help illustrate favorable interpretations and positive evidentiary recurrences for the ALJ, over and over, until “things we’ve never seen will seem familiar.” Attendees will learn which argument options provide the least element of risk for their clients, gain practice in story-telling according to the SSR 16-3p factors and get experience in choosing when and how to take advantage of opportunities that only happen in the hearing room at Steps 1-5.

Speakers: Robert Gross Tarlock

DAY 3, Thursday, October  15, 2026

SESSION 1 – Getting Paid for Doing Good: Practice Pointers to Avoid Reduction in Fees | 11:00am – 12:00pm

Two experienced Social Security litigators will address stumbling blocks to recovering all fees sought. Topics covered include 406(a) fees and when the expedited fee process does not apply, along with tips for successful 406(a) fee petitions. The session will also cover EAJA fees, including common objections to EAJA fees such as failure to recover on all issues, briefing time, clerical time, and seeking extensions of time. Turning to 406(b) fees, the speakers will discuss obtaining 406(b) fees without a contingent fee contract and avoiding windfall findings in 406(b) fee litigation, before closing with effective strategies for negotiating fees with SSA.

Speakers: Lawrence Rohlfing & Sarah Bohr

Break | 12:00pm – 12:15pm 

SESSION 2 – Top 10 Tips for Success: Lessons Learned Over 40 years of Social Security Law Practice | 12:15pm – 1:15pm

Technology and administrative rules have changed dramatically since 1986 when I started practicing but there are basic strategies that remain timeless. In this session I will pass on tips including how to grow your practice, maintain client relations, stay out of trouble, make “good trouble,” win cases, and maintain that elusive work-life balance, all of which will remain relevant in the years ahead regardless of advances in technology and the whims of the agency.

Speakers: Ann J. Atkinson

Break | 1:15pm – 1:30pm 

SESSION 3 – Know Your Numbers: How to Use AI to Analyze your Disability Practice | 1:30pm – 2:30pm

Your caseload is already telling you how to win more cases; most firms just never ask. This session shows representatives how to turn their own case data into insight: grant rates by ALJ, hearing office, claim type, and stage; where cases stall; and which evidence patterns track with favorable outcomes. We’ll demonstrate how today’s AI tools make this analysis possible without a data team, using aggregated, deidentified outcomes from thousands of SSD cases and public ALJ decision data. Attendees leave with concrete questions to put to their own data and a framework for finding bottlenecks.

Speakers: Nikhil Pai

LUNCH | 2:30pm – 3:45pm

SESSION 4 – A Lifeline for Deadlines – Managing Mail, ERE, and More in the AI Era | 3:45pm – 4:45pm

We’ve all been there, staring at the computer screen for fifteen minutes straight, puzzling together what went wrong with a case. What happened? Why didn’t we catch it? With AI, it’s sometimes easier to answer these questions in post, but how can we actually solve systemic operations issues to prevent them from happening in the first place? The key word here is “Standardization.” This session discusses how to use technology to effectively standardize your firm’s procedures, reducing the risk of critical misses or slip-ups in your firm that can cause cases to die off.

Speakers: Jonathan Frevola & Al Frevola

Break | 4:45pm – 5:00pm 

SESSION 5 – How Social Security Attorneys and ERISA Attorneys Can Help Each Other’s Case | 5:00pm – 6:00pm

Social Security and ERISA disability claims often overlap, and attorneys in both fields can strengthen their clients’ cases by understanding how these systems interact. This session will cover how evidence, timelines, and strategies from one claim can support the other, helping attorneys identify opportunities to improve outcomes for their clients through collaboration and cross-knowledge

Speakers: Eric Buchanan

DAY 4, Friday, October 16, 2026

SESSION 1 – Redetermination under 405(u) for “fraud or similar fault” | 10:30am – 11:30am

Claimants can be subjected to draconian “redetermination” proceedings under 42 U.S.C. §405(u) regardless of their own complicity in any alleged “fraud or similar fault.” Since this statute was enacted in 1994, SSA has targeted large numbers of claimants in Puerto Rico, New York, and, beginning 16 years ago, Kentucky.  This talk will cover the rules governing these proceedings and current litigation.

Speakers: Ann J. Atkinson

Break | 11:30am – 11:45am

SESSION 2 – The VA Claim Hiding in Your SSDI File | 11:45am – 12:45pm

Many Social Security practitioners represent veterans who are eligible for — but not receiving — VA disability benefits they have earned. This session shows how to recognize when an SSDI or SSI client has a viable VA claim, focusing on Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and earliereffective-date arguments that can produce substantial retroactive awards. We will cover the evidentiary overlap between SSDI and VA unemployability, secondary service connection, the VA appeals lanes, and how to refer or co-counsel a VA matter consistent with ethical and accreditation rules. Attendees leave with a practical case-screening checklist.

Speakers: Fritzie Vammen

Break | 12:45pm – 1:00pm

SESSION 3 – From Policy to Practice: The Appeals Council Since SSR 24-3p | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Since the implementation of SSR 24-3p, I have appealed approximately 75 cases to the Appeals Council. I have not received a remand yet that deals directly with SSR 24-3p, but I have gained some useful insight on how the Appeals Council is dealing with vocational issues since the implementation of SSR 24-3p. Not to spoil the ending, but they are not really addressing problematic VE testimony in the cases I appealed. Instead, they are focusing on medical issues and have even issued some favorable decisions. The presentation will cover a case study across a wide range of age categories, past relevant work, and target issues at the Appeals Council. I also have some that are currently pending and hope to have those decisions before the conference.

Speakers: Erica Cortizas & Sarah Deaver