This program is an excerpt from the 2025 Wisconsin Equal Justice Conference. 

The SSDI/SSI survival guide

For clients facing denials of Social Security disability benefits, every missed deadline or incomplete record can take them right back to step one. With most initial claims denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA),¹ knowing how to challenge decisions—and when persistence pays off—can make the difference between success and frustration. 

Social Security Reviews and Appeals guides you through the entire process, from determining eligibility to reconsideration, hearings, and federal court review. You’ll gain the insight and strategies needed to help clients through a system that often feels overwhelming, while improving the accuracy, efficiency, and fairness of every claim you handle. 

You’ll explore:

• The history and structure of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, including how insured status and income limits affect eligibility
• How the SSA defines and evaluates “severe impairment” under its five-step disability test
• Stages of appeal, from initial reconsideration through Appeals Council and federal court review
• Procedural requirements, deadlines, and documentation practices that can bolster your client’s case
• Practical methods for advising clients on persistence, medical evidence, and representation before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)

Social Security success

Whether you handle Social Security Cases regularly or want to expand your public benefits practice, Social Security Reviews and Appeals delivers the essential framework to evaluate claims, prepare appeals, anticipate decisions, and advocate for fair outcomes. 

¹ SSA.gov: Social Security Disabled Worker Applications for Disability Benefits & Benefit Awards

This program is an excerpt from the 2025 Wisconsin Equal Justice Conference. 

The SSDI/SSI survival guide

For clients facing denials of Social Security disability benefits, every missed deadline or incomplete record can take them right back to step one. With most initial claims denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA),¹ knowing how to challenge decisions—and when persistence pays off—can make the difference between success and frustration. 

Social Security Reviews and Appeals guides you through the entire process, from determining eligibility to reconsideration, hearings, and federal court review. You’ll gain the insight and strategies needed to help clients through a system that often feels overwhelming, while improving the accuracy, efficiency, and fairness of every claim you handle.