Step 5: Where Are We Now? – 2026 Spring National Conference – Track II (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

Meghan Gallo
Meghan Gallo | GCC Law Firm

Meghan Gallo 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.

Live Video-Broadcast: April 22, 2026

1.25 hour CLE

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Program Summary

Challenge Step 5 Job Numbers

Step 5 job number evidence is shifting fast and practitioners who aren't keeping up are leaving clients exposed. This session delivers a critical breakdown of the ORS's documented shortcomings and the flawed science behind the simple probability method, giving attendees the tools to challenge vocational expert testimony and stay current in this rapidly developing area.

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 Spring 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 Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

Key topics to be discussed:

  • ORS shortcomings in practice
    • A critical examination of the Occupational Requirements Survey's documented limitations and why its use for job number estimates at Step 5 is increasingly difficult to defend.
  • The simple probability method under the microscope
    • Why the simple probability method fails to meet the standards of scientific validity and how to expose that weakness in hearing testimony.
  • The science and statistics behind job numbers
    • A working command of the key statistical terms and concepts needed to meaningfully challenge the data vocational experts rely on at Step 5.
  • Staying current in a rapidly evolving area
    • A comprehensive update on the latest developments shaping Step 5 litigation, equipping practitioners to adapt their strategy as the law and evidence standards continue to change.

Date / Time: April 22, 2026

  • 9:45 am – 11:00 am Eastern
  • 8:45 am – 10:00 am Central
  • 7:45 am – 9:00 am Mountain
  • 6:45 am – 8:00 am Pacific

Closed-captioning available

Speakers

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.

Agenda

I. 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.

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