Agenda / Content Covered

1. SSDI BENEFITS OVERVIEW AND INTAKE QUESTIONS
   9:00 - 9:50, Gregory Beckwith
   
   1. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) Benefits Compared
   2. SSI Eligibility Criteria and Application Process
   3. SSDI Eligibility and Application Procedure in a Nutshell
   4. How SSI and SSDI Interact with Other Government Benefits
   5. Speak the Language of the Practice: Common Medical, Legal and Administrative Concepts, Abbreviations and Acronyms
   6. Claim Intake Questionnaire
   7. Spotting Red Flags: Unanswered Questions, Gaps in Medical and Work History, Inconsistencies, etc.
2. IMPAIRMENT LISTING AND GRID RULES UPDATE
   9:50 - 10:40, Gregory Beckwith
   
   1. Disability Listings Update
   2. DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles), SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) and Other Useful Resources
   3. Mental Health Claims: Personality Disorders
   4. Mental Health Claims: Low IQ
   5. Supporting Orthopedic Injury Claims
   6. Medical Vocational Grids
   7. Sources of Authority: POMS, Hallex, CFR, Case Law and Useful Links
3. EVIDENTIARY ISSUES IN DISABILITY CLAIMS
   10:55 - 11:45, Theodore F. Smith Jr.
   
   1. Creating an Exhaustive List of all the Documents You Will Need
   2. Personal Medical History and Treating Physician Opinions
   3. Consultative Exams and Medical Source Statements
   4. Employment History and Earnings Record
   5. Practical Tips for Obtaining Crucial Documents
   6. Submission of Evidence Rules Update
   7. Trial Work Periods and Work Attempts
   8. Representing Indigent Clients and Clients with Diminished Mental Capacity
   9. Troubleshooting Lack of Insured Status
   10. Addressing Failure to Follow Prescribed Treatment
4. WRITING THE BRIEF AND PREPARING FOR THE HEARING
   12:45 - 1:35, Theodore F. Smith Jr.
   
   1. Developing a Winning Theory
   2. Documenting the History of the Ailment - Forms/Letters from the Medical Professionals for Physical vs. Mental Disability Claims
   3. Drafting the Brief and What Form/Documents Must be Submitted with it
   4. Preparing the Client to Testify
   5. The Master Checklist of the "Must-Have" Documents for the Hearing
   6. Documenting and Explaining Prescription Medications
   7. Addressing Addiction
   8. Other Pre-Hearing Issues: On-the-Record Decisions, Memoranda, etc.
5. HEARING TACTICS
   1:35 - 2:25, Nick Lavella
   
   1. Video vs. In-Person Hearings: Pros, Cons, Strategy
   2. Harmful Evidence and Other Rules for Hearings
   3. Maximizing Client Testimony Following the Five-Step Sequential Evaluation Process
   4. How to Present Hypotheticals
   5. Effective Use of Exhibits
   6. Addressing Bad Facts of the Case
   7. Always Build a Record for Appeal! - What You Must Remember in the Heat of Battle
6. HOW TO CROSS-EXAMINE VOCATIONAL EXPERTS
   2:40 - 3:30, Ashley D. Marks
   
   1. Challenging the VE’s Credentials
   2. Questioning Vocational Data Sources
   3. Language: Medical Limitations vs. Vocational Limitations
      1. Getting to Know the Dictionary of Occupational Titles
      2. Getting to Know the Selected Characteristics of Occupations
   4. Creating Your Own Hypothetical Questions
   5. Using the VE to Reduce the Number of Jobs by the Vocational Implications of Certain Limitations
   6. Vocational Implications of Pain and Mental Health Issues
   7. Challenging Opinions on the Availability/Number of Jobs: What is Meant by "Substantial Number of Jobs," "Existing in Several Regions"
   8. What do I do if we Lose
7. AVOIDING ETHICAL PITFALLS
   3:30 - 4:30, Nick Lavella
   
   1. Client Misconduct
   2. Representative Misconduct
   3. Guarding Confidentiality
   4. Addressing Negative Evidence
   5. Limitations on Attorney Fees and Possible Exceptions

GREGORY BECKWITH is an attorney with the Law Office of Steven R. Jacobs, where he represents claimants before administrative law judges, the Appeals Council, and in federal court. He has devoted most of his career to Social Security disability and SSI. Mr. Beckwith earned his undergraduate degree from the Lenoir Rhyne University and his J.D. degree from the Wake Forest University School of Law. He is a member of the Indiana State (Disability Section) and Indianapolis bar associations.

NICK LAVELLA is an attorney with the law firm of Keller & Keller, in Indianapolis. Mr. Lavella represents disabled individuals before the Social Security Administration and U.S. federal courts. He serves as an attorney for those who were denied Social Security disability benefits, short term disability insurance benefits, and long-term disability insurance benefits. Mr. Lavella received his B.A. degree from Purdue University and his J.D. degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law. He is a member of the National Organization for Social Security Claimants Representatives and Indianapolis Bar Association.

ASHLEY D. MARKS is an attorney with the Hankey Law Office, in Indianapolis. Ms. Marks primary practice areas are long term disability, Social Security disability, personal injury, and wage and hour law. She received her undergraduate degrees from Indiana University and her J.D. degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Ms. Marks has been named as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2015-2019. She is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, the Indianapolis Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the National Employment Lawyers Association and the National Trial Lawyers.

THEODORE F. SMITH JR. is a sole practitioner with offices in Indianapolis and Anderson, Indiana, where he practices in the areas of Social Security disability, personal injury and wrongful death. Mr. Smith earned his B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. degree from the Notre Dame Law School. For more than 35 years, he has represented numerous Social Security disability clients at administrative hearings before the Office of Hearings and Appeals, SSA, and in appeals before the U.S. District Court in the Southern and Northern districts of Indiana. Additionally, Mr. Smith has represented before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Finally, he has lectured and written extensively on Social Security disability law, including serving as a faculty member on numerous seminars for National Business Institute and ICLEF. Mr. Smith is admitted to the Indiana Bar. He also is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern districts of Indiana. Mr. Smith is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association and the National Organization of Social Security Claimant's Representatives.