FDC from A to Z: Federal Court Social Security Appeals – 2026 Spring National Conference – Track I (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

Laura Beth Waller, Esq. | Federal Court Social Security Disability Appeals

Laura Beth Waller is an attorney specializing in Social Security disability appeals in federal court. Following her tenure as Interim CEO and Chief Strategy Officer for the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), she returned to appellate advocacy, where she manages a dedicated federal court caseload and serves as a strategic resource for disability firms nationwide. She also partners with other firms to provide brief writing and litigation analysis for cases challenging agency decisions at the federal level. A registered federal lobbyist and the Legislative Chair for the NCAJ Disability Advocacy Section, Laura Beth is licensed to practice in North Carolina, Georgia, and Washington.

• Education & Credentials

Laura Beth Waller is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in North Carolina, Georgia, and Washington. She is also a registered federal lobbyist, reflecting her active engagement at the intersection of Social Security disability law and federal policy. Her credentials span litigation, executive leadership, and legislative advocacy — a combination that distinguishes her as one of the most versatile practitioners in the Social Security disability bar. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Laura Beth’s leadership profile is among the most distinguished in the Social Security disability community. She served as Interim CEO and Chief Strategy Officer of NOSSCR, the nation’s leading organization for Social Security claimants’ representatives, placing her at the helm of the profession’s most prominent advocacy body. She currently serves as Legislative Chair for the NCAJ Disability Advocacy Section and is a registered federal lobbyist, keeping her at the forefront of policy developments that directly affect disability claimants and their representatives nationwide.

• Professional Involvement

Laura Beth remains deeply engaged in both the litigation and policy dimensions of Social Security disability law. As Legislative Chair of the NCAJ Disability Advocacy Section and a registered federal lobbyist, she actively shapes the legislative and regulatory landscape affecting disability claimants. She also serves as a strategic resource for disability firms across the country, providing brief writing, litigation analysis, and appellate strategy support — extending her impact well beyond her own caseload and into the broader practice community.

• Experience

Laura Beth’s career spans federal court appellate advocacy, national organizational leadership, and federal legislative engagement. After building her practice in Social Security disability appeals, she served as Interim CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at NOSSCR before returning to her appellate work. In her current practice, she manages a federal court caseload, collaborates with disability firms nationwide on brief writing and litigation strategy, and continues to advance disability policy as a registered lobbyist and legislative leader. Her multi-dimensional background — litigator, executive, and lobbyist — gives her a uniquely comprehensive perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing Social Security disability practitioners today.

Marisa Burkett, Esq. Head of Social Security Disability Practice | Capital Injury Law

Marisa Burkett is a Social Security disability attorney and head of the Social Security Disability practice at Capital Injury Law, with offices in Tacoma and Olympia, Washington. A 2013 graduate of Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law, Marisa has practiced exclusively in Social Security disability law since graduating and is licensed in both New York and Washington State. She has experience writing appellate briefs for disability claims nationwide and has represented individuals at all levels of the appeals process, both before the Social Security Administration and in federal district courts.

• Education & Credentials

Marisa earned her Juris Doctor from Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law in 2013. She is licensed to practice law in New York and Washington State and has practiced Social Security disability law since the start of her legal career. Her appellate brief writing experience spans disability claims nationwide, reflecting a practice that extends well beyond her home jurisdictions and encompasses the full spectrum of SSA and federal court appeals.

• Recognition & Leadership

Marisa leads the Social Security Disability practice at Capital Injury Law, a plaintiff’s firm with offices in Tacoma and Olympia, Washington. Her role as practice head reflects the trust her firm places in her expertise and her ability to manage complex disability matters at both the administrative and federal court levels. Her nationwide appellate brief writing work further demonstrates the recognition she has earned from disability practitioners across the country who rely on her analytical and writing skills for their most challenging federal court cases.

• Professional Involvement

In addition to leading her firm’s disability practice, Marisa provides appellate brief writing and litigation support to disability firms on a nationwide basis — a contribution that extends her professional involvement well beyond her local caseload. Her work at both the SSA administrative level and in federal district courts gives her a comprehensive view of the appeals process, and her multi-state licensure and national brief writing practice reflect a broad engagement with the Social Security disability bar across jurisdictions.

• Experience

Since graduating from Dickinson Law in 2013, Marisa has dedicated her entire legal career to Social Security disability representation. She has assisted clients at every stage of the appeals process — from SSA administrative hearings through federal district court litigation — and has developed particular expertise in appellate brief writing for disability claims across the country. As head of the Social Security Disability practice at Capital Injury Law in Tacoma and Olympia, Washington, she brings over a decade of focused experience to her clients and her firm, combining deep substantive knowledge with strong appellate advocacy skills.

Melissa Palmer, Esq., Equity Partner | Olinsky Law Group

Melissa is an Equity Partner at Olinsky Law Group, where she joined in February 2017 and became a partner in January 2022. Licensed in New York and California and admitted to practice in various district and circuit courts across the country, Melissa built her practice on Social Security federal court appeals before expanding her role to lead the firm’s Approved Claims Department. In this capacity, she oversees all fee-related matters — from the filing of fee petitions to fee collections at both the agency and federal court levels — making her the firm’s authority on post-award compensation issues.

• Education & Credentials

Melissa is licensed to practice law in New York and California and is admitted to practice in multiple district and circuit courts throughout the country — a breadth of federal court admissions that reflects her extensive experience in Social Security federal court litigation. Her multi-jurisdictional credentials support a practice that spans the full scope of federal appellate and fee-related proceedings in disability cases. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

Melissa’s elevation to Equity Partner at Olinsky Law Group in January 2022 reflects the firm’s recognition of her expertise and her contributions to its federal court practice. As the attorney in charge of the Approved Claims Department, she holds one of the firm’s most operationally significant leadership roles, overseeing the complete lifecycle of fee-related matters across both agency and federal court proceedings. Her dual specialization in federal court appellate advocacy and post-award fee administration makes her a distinctive and highly valued practitioner within the Social Security disability bar.

• Professional Involvement

As head of Olinsky Law Group’s Approved Claims Department, Melissa manages the firm’s fee petition and fee collection processes at both the SSA administrative level and in federal court — a specialized area of Social Security practice that requires command of complex procedural and regulatory requirements. Her admissions to multiple district and circuit courts across the country reflect sustained engagement with federal courts in jurisdictions beyond her home states, positioning her as a nationally active practitioner in Social Security federal court litigation.

• Experience

Melissa joined Olinsky Law Group in February 2017 with a practice focused exclusively on Social Security federal court appeals. Over the years, she developed deep expertise in federal district and circuit court litigation for disability claims, earning her admission to courts across the country. In January 2022, she became an Equity Partner and assumed leadership of the firm’s Approved Claims Department, where she oversees all fee-related matters from petition filing through collection at both the agency and federal court levels. Her career at Olinsky reflects a trajectory from specialized federal court litigator to firm leader, combining strong appellate advocacy with sophisticated knowledge of post-award fee practice in Social Security disability cases.

I. FDC from A to Z: Federal Court Social Security Appeals | 4:30pm – 5:45pm

Federal district court review is often the final opportunity to challenge an unfavorable Social Security disability decision. This program provides a start-to-finish guide to handling disability appeals in federal court. Attorneys will learn how to identify appealable errors in the administrative record, navigate the mechanics of filing a complaint and briefs, and litigate effectively before the court. The session also addresses the critical final step of pursuing attorney fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) and 42 U.S.C. § 406(b). Participants will gain practical guidance for managing disability appeals from record review through fee recovery.