Over the weekend, Schmidt Kramer attorney Jessica Mitchell presented at the inaugural National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) NextGen Retreat. The retreat was for attorneys under 40 years of age and with less than 10 years’ experience in representing Social Security Disability applicants.
The retreat took place over the weekend in Boulder, Colorado at the Hyatt Place Boulder.
Mitchell was one of the presenters at a Continuing Legal Education session about Social Security Disability hearings. The session included a mock hearing with a panel of practitioners. The panel included Federal Court Practitioners and Hearing Level Attorneys who taught, critiqued and shared their best practices.
The goal was for participants to leave with strategies for:
- Building a case
- Preparing client testimony
- Dealing with experts
- Interacting with Administrative Law Judges
One of the focuses of the session was thinking about the two goals of a hearing:
- Winning the case OR
- Setting up a strong appeal
The retreat included various activities, such as a brewery hike, yoga and a speakeasy. The cost of the event was significantly subsidized to help make it more affordable.