Representation For
People Seeking Social Security Disability / SSI Benefits

Here's what some attorneys, familiar with Melinda's work and experience, have to say:


"Ms. Hernandez [Spencer] and I have worked together since at least 2015. I have not served as her employer, but instead I reviewed claims she developed for potential appeal to the United States District Court. In that capacity, I had the opportunity to see her case development for Social Security disability claimants. In addition, I have had many occasions to speak with Ms. Hernandez about case development strategies and the nuances of working with the Social Security Administration.

Ms. Hernandez has worked for several attorneys in the field of disability. She brings that experience to her case management... The cases I reviewed from Ms. Hernandez were uniformly well developed with complete medical files and often several treating physician letters.

Ms. Hernandez knows what is required to expertly represent claimants before the Social Security Administration. Her efforts not only benefitted the claimant but also ensured that the administration had fulfilled their claimant obligations."

~ J. H. (Attorney)



"Indeed, when Ms. Hernandez [Spencer] joined my practice, she already had more experience in the Social Security arena than I did, having previously worked for one of our area's pre-eminent Social Security law firms some years past.

Ms. Hernandez was actively involved in every stage of claim development, from intake through hearing, including appeals. She would often conduct the initial client intake interview if I was unavailable and she was proficient in quickly identifying the nature of the claim (Title II or Title XVI), the likely impairments, the most relevant medical providers, and the most helpful lay observers.

Although we would regularly staff these claims together, very often my input was little more than to agree with Ms. Hernandez's assessment and plan of action. She was exceptionally tenacious at tracking down and obtaining records from medical providers and comparing our complete files against the typically incomplete files relied upon when an initial claim had been denied.

Similarly, when a client had not yet filed a claim, Ms. Hernandez applied her skills to developing a sufficient record that led on occasion to the rare approval on initial review, and often secondary review. Indeed, it was her skill that ultimately expedited many claims to acceptance well short of a hearing.

On more than one occasion at hearing I was able to rely upon Ms. Hernandez's thorough and detailed review of the medical record to identify impairments and medical opinions that had escaped the judge's consideration.
‍
Aside from simply developing claim files, Ms. Hernandez was particularly attuned to the needs of each client and was instrumental in guiding many of those clients to needed services in the community. On occasion, the result of those services and Ms. Hernandez's guidance resulted in clients ultimately obtaining meaningful employment and voluntarily withdrawing their claims, which they certainly viewed as the ideal outcome.

Part of Ms. Hernandez's skill in obtaining records and favorable outcomes was her personal demeanor with business offices and bureaucrats that would have caused others (i.e. me) to become not only impossibly frustrated, but sufficiently frustrated that a meaningful ongoing working relationship may have been difficult, at best. The combination of her tenacity and professionalism was instrumental in helping our clients get the best outcome possible.

When we would lose a hearing, Ms. Hernandez was responsible for drafting the request for review by the Appeals Council. Although I would edit and maybe revise part of that draft based on my recollections from the hearing, those drafts largely became the final product that we submitted.

Let me close with this. I am a pessimist. Ms. Hernandez is an optimist. As a result, her advocacy caused me to take on clients that I would not have otherwise, for any number of reasons. And, more often that not, we (and by we, I really mean she) obtained benefits for those clients and helped change their lives. Ms. Hernandez is dedicated to helping people, and her dedication made her an exceptional Social Security advocate..."

~ M. F. (Attorney / Judge)
‍