Using SSA’s Own Playbook: Underutilized Policies That Strengthen Disability Claims – 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.

• 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.

Ed Olson, Esq., Social Security Disability Attorney

Ed Olson has been representing individuals seeking Social Security disability benefits since 1991. Over more than three decades, he has successfully represented clients at every level of the Social Security Administration’s disability claim process, from initial application through the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ed is a frequent speaker before groups and organizations on the Social Security disability claim process and has been a featured speaker at multiple meetings of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR).

• Education & Credentials

Ed Olson is a licensed attorney who has concentrated his practice in Social Security disability representation since 1991. His credentials are defined by more than 30 years of hands-on experience at every stage of the disability adjudication process, from initial applications through administrative hearings, appeals council reviews, and federal court litigation up to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. His sustained focus on this single area of law reflects a depth of expertise that few practitioners can match

• Recognition & Leadership

Ed has been recognized as a featured speaker at multiple NOSSCR national meetings, reflecting his standing as a trusted and respected voice in the Social Security disability practitioner community. His successful representation of clients through the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most demanding venues for Social Security disability litigation, underscores the appellate expertise he has developed over more than three decades of practice. His frequent speaking engagements before groups and organizations on the disability claim process further demonstrate the value his colleagues and the broader professional community place on his knowledge and experience.

• Professional Involvement

Ed is actively engaged in professional education and community outreach, frequently speaking to groups and organizations about the Social Security disability claim process. His appearances as a featured speaker at NOSSCR national meetings reflect his commitment to sharing his expertise with practitioners across the country. His long-tenured membership in the Social Security disability bar and his involvement with NOSSCR demonstrate a consistent investment in the broader professional community that extends well beyond his own practice.

• Experience

Since beginning his Social Security disability practice in 1991, Ed Olson has built a career of more than 30 years representing claimants at every level of the adjudication process, from initial applications and reconsiderations through administrative hearings, appeals council reviews, and federal court appeals up to the Eighth Circuit. His comprehensive experience across all stages of the process gives him an unusually complete understanding of how disability claims develop, where they succeed, and how to effectively challenge adverse decisions at the highest levels. His frequent speaking engagements and NOSSCR featured speaker appearances reflect a professional commitment to education and advocacy that complements his active client practice.

I. Using SSA’s Own Playbook: Underutilized Policies That Strengthen Disability Claims | 8:30am – 9:45am

This session by Ed Olson and Tom Krause reveals lesser known Social Security policies, including administrative waiver tolerance; past relevant work analysis; composite jobs and workplace accommodations; medical-vocational profiles for arduous work histories and borderline age applications; and recent emergency messages restricting use of obsolete occupations in “not disabled” determinations; and continuing disability review patterns. The materials emphasize practical POMS applications and regulatory updates that disability attorneys can use to strengthen advocacy and better navigate the Social Security system.