Top 10 Things (for Claimants' Attorneys) Not Taught in Law School

Top 10 Things (For Social Security Claimants' Attorneys) Not Taught in Law School

1. On a daily basis, backup on reliable media and offsite all electronic files. Your server/hard drive will fail.

2. To a significant extent, you can get away with not keeping abreast of legal developments in Social Security law. Professionalism, not fear of sanction by a tribunal, is the main reason attorneys keep abreast of changes in the law.

3. How to obtain the cooperation of medical professionals to provide relevant and convincing reports, i.e., the fundamental task in representing claimants.

4. You are as effective and your firm as profitable as your staff is courteous and efficient.

5. There will be misunderstandings with tribunals, other attorneys, and clients that will never be corrected. You may be a jerk who is misperceived by some as a saint. You may be a saint who is misperceived by some as a jerk.

6. Some tribunals and some clients will have no idea what you are saying; you are just as much a fiduciary as an advocate.

7. Very little dishonesty, unethical conduct, and generally bad behavior is punished or even acknowledged. Most dishonesty, unethical conduct, and generally bad behavior is "under the radar" or "off the books."

8. FedEx next-business-day delivery is not necessarily next-business-day delivery if there is bad weather in Tennessee; United States Postal Service Express Mail next-day delivery works almost all, not all, of the time; and United States Postal Service Priority Mail is very reliable so long as the packages are packed and labeled properly.

9. You might not be paid for a very long time, and you will be unfairly stiffed by clients whom you have served well.

10. You are expected to return phone calls quickly, and you should return phone calls quickly.