Social Security Law Section

Message from the Chair

Thank you for being a part of the Social Security Law Section of the Federal Bar Association. As you know, there are various organizations which vie for our time and money. Besides other bar associations, there are associations for administrative law judges, claimant’s representatives, state agency personnel, etc. Each of these organizations provides worthwhile benefits to its members. The Social Security Law Section of the FBA is unique in that our membership is drawn from all groups involved in adjudication of Social Security issues. For this reason we can – indeed, we must – take a broader perspective.

Our primary mission continues to be serving as advocates for a fair, effective, fully-funded adjudicatory system. Your membership is vital to making the section’s voice heard. Most, if not all, of you know and work with many potential members who do not even know that we exist. PLEASE, tell these people about the FBA and about this section. Your efforts can make our voice stronger.
In order to ensure that this “voice” is the voice of a cross-section of members, we have formalized and expanded our board of directors. The list is being added to our website. If you have an interest in participating in this way, please send me an e-mail.

Issue number one of our newsletter has been issued and the next issue is in the works. We need members to provide articles. Do you have ideas about how to prepare your case to improve your client’s chance of success, how to examine expert witnesses, how to frame a residual functional capacity, how to handle favorable/unfavorable consultative examiner opinions, or other topics? Please share your experience and views with others through the newsletter. Articles or proposals can be sent to me or to the newsletter editor, Judge Jim Fraiser.

We are reinstituting our Bench/Bar continuing legal education programs. The first one is now scheduled to be in Cleveland, Ohio, on the morning of October 21, 2011. If you live in the Cleveland area, please join us. We are working on scheduling another in Charleston, South Carolina. If there is an interest in holding a session where you live, let me know. We will work cooperatively with you or the local FBA chapter to put on a session.

As always, I welcome your input and ideas about how to make this Section more effective in meeting the needs of our members.

Hon. Larry A. Auerbach
Chairman