Webinar: Appeals Council Advocacy - Getting There and Getting Back to an ALJ
2026-05-19 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
**Program hosted in (ET) Time Zone**
The Appeals Council is an underappreciated venue for successful client outcomes. It is also your necessary doorway to a civil action in federal court – and if you prevail in court you’ll visit the Appeals Council again on your way back to rehearing. This hour will focus on getting to the AC, best practices for AC briefing, including Requests for Review and Statements of Exceptions, and tracking AC actions following federal court remands.
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Presented by the FBA’s Social Security Law Section

Presenters
Deborah Spector, Managing Partner, Spector and Lenz
Deborah Spector is the lead attorney and managing partner at Spector and Lenz, bringing more than 40 years of experience representing Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claimants. Throughout her career—beginning in legal services and continuing in private practice—Deborah has dedicated herself to advocating for individuals navigating disability adjudications and judicial review in federal court. Her extensive experience and long-standing commitment to this field have made her a trusted advocate for claimants seeking benefits.
Deborah earned her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois, the Supreme Court of the United States, and multiple federal courts, including the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois, Western District of Tennessee, Western District of Wisconsin, and Northern District of Indiana. She is also admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Fourth Circuit.
Deborah has lived in Oak Park, Illinois since 1981, where she raised her five children. Outside of her legal practice, she is deeply involved in her congregation and local community, generously dedicating her time to service and volunteer work. She currently resides in Oak Park with her dog, Chana.

Ryan Tank, Attorney, Spector and Lenz.
Ryan Tank is an experienced attorney focused exclusively on Social Security disability and federal court litigation. He has represented dozens of clients in federal district courts, advocating for both adults and children appealing Social Security disability denials. His work centers on guiding clients through complex administrative and federal appeals processes with precision and deep institutional knowledge.
Prior to his current practice, Ryan served as an Attorney Advisor for the Social Security Administration’s Office of Hearings Operations, where disability hearings are conducted before Administrative Law Judges. In this role, he gained valuable insight into the internal decision-making process and legal standards applied in disability determinations—experience that now strengthens his advocacy on behalf of claimants. Earlier in his career, Ryan worked at a general practice law firm in downstate Illinois, where he developed a broad legal foundation.
Ryan earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. While in law school, he served as a research assistant to two law professors and was awarded the CALI Excellence for the Future Award seven times, recognizing the highest academic achievement in multiple courses. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Ryan is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. His practice is devoted entirely to Social Security disability and federal court litigation.

Registration
Save the Date

Live Broadcast | FBA Member: $0
Live Broadcast | Nonmember: $95
On-Demand Broadcast | FBA Member: $50
On-Demand Broadcast | Nonmember: $95

CLE
Please note: CLE for this webinar has not been pre-approved.
MyLaw and the FBA will seek 1.0 General CLE credit hours in 60-minute states, and 1.2 General CLE credit hours in 50-minute states.
Posted credit hours are estimated and subject to respective state approval and rounding rules. CLE qualifications vary by state/jurisdiction.
For questions regarding this program, please contact MyLaw CLE by email: registration@mylawcle.com or phone: 877-406-8636.
