Ways to Improve Your Case / How to Eliminate Jobs (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

Effective case development in Social Security Disability practice requires understanding your claimant, your goals, and the evidence available. At a minimum, attorneys must notify the ALJ of medical records, obtain them (sometimes through HITMER), and prepare the claimant by reviewing key issues and evidence. However, most cases demand deeper development, including gathering complete medical and work records, SSA forms, education documents, medical source statements, witness testimony, and other supporting materials. The goal is to make the case as clear and efficient as possible for the judge—who has multiple hearings to manage—by submitting records early, clarifying vocational and earnings issues, and ensuring all evidence and contact details are ready before the hearing. Strong preparation signals professionalism and keeps proceedings smooth, allowing more time for persuasive testimony. Attorneys should also tailor their case toward one of the limited paths to victory—meeting a listing, applying Medical-Vocational Rules, or showing job erosion through functional limitations. When strong medical source statements aren’t available, alternative evidence such as symptom tracking, photos, videos, and home activity details can effectively demonstrate limitations. Organizing complex information into lists, tables, or visual formats helps judges process evidence quickly. Finally, integrating Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) data—on factors like pace control, problem-solving, and interpersonal reliability—can strengthen arguments and more precisely reflect modern job demands.

Key topics to be discussed:

• Comprehensive Evidence Development and Early Record Submission
• Preparing Claimants and Structuring Cases Around the Pathways to Approval
• Using Alternative Evidence and ORS Data to Demonstrate Functional Limitations

This course is co-sponsored with myLawCLE.

Closed-captioning available