Applied Social Security Law Course

Lesson 1 • Structure of Social Security Systems

Maps the institutional architecture of social security, including contributory and non-contributory tiers. Provides the organizational lens used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Sources of Social Security Law

Identifies the hierarchy of legal sources governing social security, from constitutional provisions to agency regulations. Equips students to locate and interpret authoritative legal texts.

Lesson 3 • Key Legal Concepts and Terminology

Defines foundational terms—entitlement, benefit, insured status, and coverage—used throughout social security law. Ensures precise vocabulary for legal analysis and advocacy.

Lesson 1 • Income and Resource Testing

Covers means-testing methodologies, including income counting rules and resource limits. Connects financial eligibility standards to non-contributory program design.

Lesson 2 • Residency and Citizenship Requirements

Examines domicile, lawful presence, and citizenship conditions affecting benefit access. Addresses how immigration status intersects with social security entitlement.

Lesson 3 • Categorical Eligibility Requirements

Examines age, disability, survivor, and family relationship criteria that define program access. Links categorical rules to the structural program types introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 4 • Applying Eligibility Rules to Cases

Integrates categorical, financial, and residency criteria through structured case analysis. Builds the applied reasoning skill required for accurate eligibility determinations.

Lesson 1 • Sequential Evaluation Framework

Teaches the multi-step sequential process used to adjudicate disability claims in order. Each step's legal standard and decision logic are analyzed with practical examples.

Lesson 2 • Medical Evidence Standards

Identifies acceptable medical sources, evidence weight rules, and documentation requirements. Prepares students to evaluate and challenge medical records in disability cases.

Lesson 3 • Legal Definition of Disability

Distinguishes the statutory definition of disability from medical and colloquial meanings. Establishes the precise legal standard applied throughout disability adjudication.

Lesson 4 • Special Disability Categories

Covers expedited processing rules, compassionate allowances, and presumptive disability provisions. Equips students to identify cases warranting accelerated or special handling.

Lesson 1 • Primary Insurance Amount Computation

Explains how average indexed earnings are converted into a primary insurance amount. Provides the computational foundation for all retirement and disability benefit amounts.

Lesson 2 • Benefit Offsets and Reductions

Analyzes workers' compensation offset, government pension offset, and windfall elimination rules. Identifies when and how these provisions reduce otherwise computed benefit amounts.

Lesson 3 • Cost-of-Living Adjustments and Taxation

Explains annual cost-of-living adjustment mechanics and the taxation of social security benefits. Connects payment rules to claimants' net income planning.

Lesson 4 • Disability and Survivor Benefit Amounts

Calculates disability insurance benefits and survivor benefit amounts for various family configurations. Demonstrates how family maximum rules limit total household payments.

Lesson 1 • Deadlines, Notices, and Good Cause

Covers statutory and regulatory deadlines, notice requirements, and good cause exceptions for late filing. Prevents procedural errors that forfeit claimant rights.

Lesson 2 • Representative Payees and Third Parties

Addresses appointment, duties, and accountability of representative payees managing benefits for others. Connects fiduciary obligations to administrative compliance requirements.

Lesson 3 • Application Requirements and Procedures

Details required forms, supporting documents, and submission channels for each program type. Establishes the procedural baseline for all subsequent administrative and appellate work.

Lesson 4 • Initial Determination Process

Explains how agencies review applications, request evidence, and issue initial decisions. Prepares students to anticipate agency actions and respond to information requests.

Lesson 1 • Expedited and On-the-Record Decisions

Covers procedures for obtaining decisions without a hearing when the record is fully favorable. Identifies cases where expedited resolution serves claimant interests.

Lesson 2 • Appeals Council Review

Analyzes the discretionary review function of the appeals council, including grounds for review and decision types. Prepares students to craft persuasive requests for council intervention.

Lesson 3 • Reconsideration Level Review

Explains the reconsideration stage, including case review scope, new evidence submission, and decision standards. Positions reconsideration as the first formal opportunity to correct initial errors.

Lesson 4 • Evidence Development at Hearing

Teaches how to identify evidentiary gaps, obtain records, and introduce exhibits at hearing. Connects evidence strategy to the legal standards governing disability and eligibility findings.

Lesson 1 • Drafting the Complaint and Briefs

Teaches the structure and content of complaints, opening briefs, and reply briefs in social security cases. Develops persuasive legal writing skills tailored to the administrative record.

Lesson 2 • Jurisdiction and Exhaustion Requirements

Establishes the conditions for federal court jurisdiction, including exhaustion of administrative remedies. Identifies procedural prerequisites that must be satisfied before filing suit.

Lesson 3 • Standards of Judicial Review

Analyzes the substantial evidence standard and legal error review applied by courts to agency decisions. Connects review standards to the arguments most likely to succeed on appeal.

Lesson 4 • Remand and Reversal Outcomes

Examines court-ordered remand instructions, sentence four versus sentence six remands, and reversal for payment. Prepares students to implement court orders at the administrative level.

Lesson 1 • Complex Multi-Issue Case Analysis

Applies eligibility, disability, benefit, and procedural rules simultaneously to layered fact patterns. Develops the analytical judgment required for cases involving multiple overlapping legal issues.

Lesson 2 • Ethics in Social Security Practice

Applies professional responsibility rules to social security representation, including fee regulation and conflicts. Ensures students maintain ethical compliance throughout the representation lifecycle.

Lesson 3 • Policy Advocacy and Law Reform

Introduces legislative advocacy, public comment participation, and coalition-building as tools for systemic change. Connects individual case experience to broader social security law reform efforts.

Lesson 4 • Challenging Agency Policy and Rulings

Examines methods for challenging agency policy interpretations through administrative and judicial channels. Equips students to identify and exploit legal vulnerabilities in agency positions.