​Under the tutelage of Attorney Michael D. Armstrong, I learned the art of litigation before the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (DNM). After his retirement, I received invaluable mentoring and guidance, which allowed me to flourish as a writer. The passion for our clients and unmatched work ethic of his predecessor has inspired me greatly. I was quickly promoted to senior attorney and currently managed the federal court department. I loved hearing work, but my passion was in formulating specialized arguments, targeted to individual magistrates. My job duties are as follows:

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• Represent clients before all levels of the Social Security Administration (SSA)

• Communicate with the SSA, Disability Determination Services, the Office of Hearing Operations, and the Appeals Council (AC)

• Craft pre- and post-hearing memorandum, expert objections, creative five-day letters tailored to each client

• Prepare clients for hearing, explaining the process, basic legal theory, and what to expect from the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)

• Conduct mock hearings with the client, playing the ALJ and attorney, focusing on fleshing out “bad facts”

• Explain hearing decisions to clients, going over the next steps regarding payment or appeal

• Brief Requests for Review to the AC

• Draft or review Complaints to the DNM

• Review In Forma Pauperis petitions

• Oversee all calendaring during the litigation process

• Write Motions to Reverse and Remand to the Agency or Motions for the Award of Immediate Benefits

• Proofread and edit every brief that is submitted to the DNM

• Negotiate conditions of voluntary remand with opposing counsel

• Serve as point of contact for all communication with the United States Attorney, the Office of General Counsel, and the DNM

• Analyze DNM Memorandum and Orders for communication with the client and for future use as persuasive authority

• Draft, negotiate, and file Equal Access to Justice Act motions

• Draft, confer, and file motions under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b) motions

• Help prepare briefing before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

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I was attending a conference for LegalShield, a limited representation service, and met a partner. I was working for another LegalShield provider at the time in rainy and snowy West Virginia. When he asked if I would be interested in employment, I jumped at the chance to escape my arthritic pain. I only worked for Davis Miles for eight months because I had a health scare, and my heart led me back to helping disabled clients

• Counseled clients on all areas of New Mexico State and Federal Law, including Social Security

• Wrote demand letters, made calls on members’ behalf, and reviewed and analyzed documents

• Explained plan coverage to members’ and sales associates

While still recovering from my injuries, I was hired as a part-time attorney with Caldwell and Riffee, a general practice firm that contracted with LegalShield. I was quickly promoted to full-time supervising attorney.

• Performed duties listed under Davis Miles above

• Designed and implemented new systems and processes for workflow

• Assisted with hiring and firing

• Proposed and implemented cost-saving measures

• Recruited referral attorneys in the legal community

• Won multiple awards through LegalShield

• Implemented a paperless office

I built a small practice from referrals received through my work with LegalShield.

• Practiced in small claims court

• Reviewed and created contracts for small businesses

• Defended traffic citations

Under the leadership of the firm’s owner, I represented hundreds of clients at all administrative levels of the SSA. While working with Ms. Dils, I was tasked with learning the writings of Sarah Bohr, studying past NOSSCR conference presentations, and shadowing seasoned claimant’s attorneys. I practiced in the same hearing office as the infamous Eric Conn and was there for the fallout, which gave me a unique respect for the integrity required to practice in this area of the law

• Performed intakes and helped clients fill out the initial applications, function reports, and reconsideration paperwork

• Managed a caseload of around forty hearings per month

• Wrote AC briefs

• Wrote internal memorandum for the Veterans Benefits department

• Sang at all firm social events

• Returned to work in a wheelchair after a catastrophic injury with newly found empathy for our clients