Appeals Council Advocacy – Getting There and Getting Back to an ALJ [Presented by the Federal Bar Association’s Social Security Law Section]

Deborah Spector, Esq., Lead Attorney & Managing Partner | Spector and Lenz

Deborah Spector is the lead attorney and managing partner at Spector and Lenz, where she has dedicated more than 40 years to representing Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income claimants. Her career began in legal services — representing individuals who could not otherwise access legal representation — and has continued in private practice, where she has focused exclusively on disability adjudications and federal court appeals on behalf of individuals navigating one of the most technically demanding areas of administrative law. Deborah is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Fourth Circuits, and multiple federal district courts. She holds a B.A. from Stanford University and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.

• Education & Credentials

Deborah holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois, the Western District of Tennessee, the Western District of Wisconsin, and the Northern District of Indiana. Her multi-circuit and multi-district federal admissions reflect the geographic breadth of a career spent litigating Social Security disability claims at every level of the federal judicial system.

• Recognition & Leadership

Deborah’s recognition is grounded in more than four decades of sustained, exclusive advocacy on behalf of Social Security Disability and SSI claimants — a career-long commitment that is rare in any field of law. Her admission to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and two federal circuits reflects the appellate depth of her practice, and her roots in legal services reflect a foundational commitment to access to justice that has defined her career from its earliest stages. Her long-standing presence in the Social Security disability bar has made her a trusted resource for claimants, colleagues, and the broader disability advocacy community.

• Professional Involvement

Deborah is an active participant in the Social Security disability legal community and brings more than 40 years of accumulated knowledge of disability adjudication procedures, ALJ decision-making patterns, Appeals Council practice, and federal court review to her advocacy. Her career spanning both legal services and private practice reflects a commitment to the full spectrum of claimant representation — from initial hearings through district court and circuit court appeals — and positions her as a practitioner with both the institutional knowledge and the courtroom experience to navigate the most complex disability cases at every level.

• Experience

Deborah Spector has spent more than four decades doing one thing: fighting for individuals whose disability claims have been denied. Beginning in legal services — where access to counsel often makes the difference between a successful claim and a failed one — and continuing in private practice at Spector and Lenz, she has built a career defined by deep expertise in Social Security disability adjudication, Appeals Council practice, and federal judicial review across multiple circuits and districts. Her Stanford undergraduate foundation and her DePaul Law J.D., combined with her admissions to the U.S. Supreme Court, two federal circuits, and four federal district courts, reflect a practitioner whose credentials match the scope and complexity of the federal disability litigation she has pursued throughout her career.

Ryan Tank, Esq., Attorney | Spector and Lenz

Ryan Tank is an attorney at Spector and Lenz whose practice is focused exclusively on Social Security disability and federal court litigation. He represents adults and children appealing Social Security disability denials before the Appeals Council and in federal district courts, guiding clients through complex administrative and appeals processes with precision and deep institutional knowledge. Prior to joining Spector and Lenz, Ryan served as an Attorney Advisor for the Social Security Administration’s Office of Hearings Operations — the office within which disability hearings are conducted before Administrative Law Judges — where he gained firsthand insight into the decision-making process that now informs his advocacy on behalf of claimants. Earlier in his career, he practiced at a general practice law firm in downstate Illinois, building a broad legal foundation before transitioning to his exclusive disability focus. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and his B.S. from Bradley University.

• Education & Credentials

Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. While in law school, he served as a research assistant to two law professors and received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award seven times — an honor recognizing the highest academic achievement in a course — across multiple subject areas, reflecting exceptional academic breadth and scholarly aptitude. He is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.

• Recognition & Leadership

Ryan’s academic record at Loyola University Chicago School of Law is distinguished by his magna cum laude graduation and seven CALI Excellence for the Future Awards — among the most competitive academic honors available to law students, each recognizing the top-scoring student in a given course. His dual research assistant appointments under two law professors reflect faculty recognition of his scholarly ability and institutional trust in his analytical skills. His prior service as an SSA Attorney Advisor in the Office of Hearings Operations gives him a government-side perspective that is unusually valuable in Social Security disability practice, where understanding how ALJs and their staff approach and assess cases is directly relevant to effective claimant advocacy.

• Professional Involvement

Ryan is an active advocate in the Social Security disability legal community, applying the institutional knowledge he developed as an SSA Attorney Advisor in the Office of Hearings Operations directly to the representation of claimants before ALJs, the Appeals Council, and in federal district court. His federal court practice spans both the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, and his focus on both adult and child disability cases reflects a comprehensive understanding of the disability adjudication system across all major claim categories.

• Experience

Ryan Tank’s career reflects a deliberate and well-grounded preparation for Social Security disability practice. His magna cum laude Loyola law degree and seven CALI awards established his academic foundation; his downstate Illinois general practice experience developed his litigation instincts; and his SSA Office of Hearings Operations Attorney Advisor role gave him insider knowledge of the ALJ decision-making process that few private disability attorneys ever acquire. At Spector and Lenz, he applies all of that preparation to his exclusive focus on representing disability claimants — from initial appeals through federal district court litigation — with the precision and institutional depth that the field demands.

SESSION 1 – Appeals Council jurisdiction, deadlines, data, and request-for-review procedure | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

This segment examines the Appeals Council’s jurisdictional scope, statutory and regulatory deadlines, current workload data, and the mechanics of filing a Request for Review, equipping practitioners to launch appeals confidently within procedural requirements.

SESSION 2 – Preserving issues for federal court, seeking extensions, and returning from federal court | 2:10pm – 2:20pm

Practitioners will explore strategies for preserving issues to maintain federal court viability, properly requesting extensions, and navigating the Appeals Council process upon return from federal court remand to secure rehearing opportunities.

SESSION 3 – Appeals Council briefing strategies and policy-based arguments | 2:20pm – 2:40pm

This portion covers persuasive briefing techniques, including issue selection, structuring policy-based arguments grounded in agency rulings, and crafting Statements of Exceptions designed to maximize the likelihood of Appeals Council remand or favorable action.

SESSION 4 – New and material evidence | 2:40pm – 2:45pm

Attendees will learn the standards governing submission of new and material evidence at the Appeals Council level, including timing requirements, materiality thresholds, and tactical considerations for presenting post-hearing evidence to support review.

SESSION 5 – Troubleshooting lost filings, delays, non-electronic cases, and Appeals Council follow-up | 2:45pm – 3:00pm

This closing segment addresses common procedural obstacles, including lost or non-electronic filings, processing delays, and effective follow-up techniques after remand, providing practitioners with practical solutions for resolving administrative breakdowns and protecting client interests.