So if I chose a lawyer other than NOSSCR that deals with disability is the outcome about the same.

You should go with the attorney that you are most comfortable with. Not all Social Security disability attorneys are members of NOSSCR but that does not mean they are not good at what they do. Being a part of NOSSCR just shows that they probably go to annual training through NOSSCR that keeps them up to date on any local changes with Social Security disability law BUT there ARE a lot of recent changes so this is an important factor to consider when possibly choosing an attorney that is not in NOSSCR. There are also other disability organizations they could be a part of such as NADR so again, just because they are not part of NOSSCR does not mean you should not use them but you may ask them if they are a part of any other disability organization. If an attorney does not go to conferences on disability it may be hard for them to know about all of the recent changes. I do not agree that just practicing more years makes them a better attorney with Social Security disability (maybe because I have not been practicing very long myself). I would just advise to go with an attorney who ONLY does Social Security disability law. Even if a lawyer has only been practicing a year or less, if he or she does SSD everyday, all day, they are going to know their job and probably be just as good as someone who has been practicing 30 years or more. Also, be careful of the 98% success rate because each Judge has a percentage of approval and that seems to dictate the success rate more than what attorney you use. If you know the name of your Judge, you may google the name and find out the average favorable rate for that Judge. That would give you more indication of if you will have a high rat e of success as opposed to the attorney's success rate. Hope this helps you make a decision. Blessings! Saundra McDowell, Esq.

Here are some other resources you could try. I am not so sure that TV is the best way to decide. To find an attorney to assist you.You could search here on (for example, see: http://www.attorneyqna.com/search/lawyer_search?utf8=%...); Contact your local or state bar association for a referral ; or contact the National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR) see: http://www.nadr.org

Some of the larger firms that advertise nationally on TV tweak their numbers - they will sometimes drop cases before a hearing if they think they might lose, so that they can keep their "win rate" percentage up (i.e., anyone that they drop doesn't get accounted for in their "98% success rate"). I don't believe that anyone operating honestly can say they have a 98% success rate. I don't have a 98% success rate, and I like to think I know what I'm doing. The other thing to look out for is non-attorney representatives. I don't want to knock them unnecessarily, because some of them do a good job, but you should know going in that non-attorneys are allowed to practice as representatives in Social Security, but cannot appeal your case to court if you lose at the hearing and the appeals council. Many of the larger national "firms" use a lot of non-attorney representatives, so you might not be hiring what you think you're hiring. Finally, I wouldn't want to think about experience in terms of "years on the job" only. Who is more likely to know what they're doing, the attorney who's had thousands and thousands of hearings over the past 15 years, or the attorney who's had hundreds of hearings, spread out piecemeal, one or two at a time, over the course of 30 years? I'd prefer the former, myself. As far as NOSSCR versus non-NOSSCR, though, although I am a member, I wouldn't put too much weight on that. I know some very good attorneys who refuse to join NOSSCR because it allows non-attorney representatives to join (they have ethical objections to that, for various reasons).

Good questions. There are good and bad lawyers, just like any other profession. One thing you could do is look for a certified specialist. You can find a Board certified specialist in Social Security by contacting the National Board of Trial Advocacy. They evaluate lawyers (independently) in many types of claims, including Social SZecurity. They require proof of experience ( minimum number of years), proof of ability (writing sdamples from appearing before a judge, the Appeals Council and Federal Courts) and references from other lawyers and reviews by Judges before whom they appear. In addition to the extensive experience requirement, they also have their own testing which is administered before a lawyer is certified. The section specifically for Social Security is called the National Board of Social Security Disability Advocacy, Divisions of the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. Their link is: http://www.nblsc.us/ I agree with my colleagues: Watching a TV ad and comments that are self laudatory - or self-puffing - is not a good way to hire a lawyer - at best it's a starting place. I hope this information helps. Good luck to you! ------------------------------------------ Please remember to designate a best answer to your question.