In the first ten days of July, we listed ten top reasons to write a hearing brief. Here is a recap:
Reason #1 – Be a Professional
Reason #2 – Be More Prepared for the Hearing
Reason #3 – Test Drive Your "Theory of the Case"
Reason #4 – The Judge Wants a Memorandum
Reason #5 – The Claim has a Glitch
Reason #6 – Have the Judge "On the Same Page"
Reason #7 – Differentiate Your Claim
Reason #8 – Get a Bench Decision
Reason #9 – Your Client Deserves It
Reason #10 – You Will Win More Claims
A hearing memorandum should be written for every Social Security disability hearing, and submitted well in advance of the the hearing. The list of best practices for claimants' representatives includes request for concise pre-hearing briefs. I always write a hearing memorandum in Maine and New Hampshire, which are the two states where I handle disability claims.
I hope these top ten reasons have persuaded you to write a pre-hearing memorandum for each and every hearing!
Update: See a sample hearing brief.