(1)  The initial Social Security Disability or SSI application.

(2)  A first appeal.

	For cases filed before August 1, 2006, this appeal is called a Request for Reconsideration.
	For cases filed after August 1, 2006, this appeal is called a Request For Review By A Federal Reviewing Official.

(3)  A second appeal, which is a hearing before a Social Security judge.  To get this hearing, it is necessary to file a Request for Hearing by Administrative Law Judge.

Make sure that the Social Security judge has all the medical records and other written evidence necessary to best present your case.

Plan a strategy to fit your case into the rules that Social Security has for approving disability cases.

Meet with you before the Social Security judge hearing to let you know:

	Who will be at the hearing.
	What kinds of questions to expect at the hearing.
	What is the important information in your case that you should make sure to tell the Social Security judge.
	What the judge is like.

At the hearing, ask you and any other witnesses questions so that the Social Security judge has the information he or she needs to best decide the case in your favor.

Present an argument to the Social Security judge, before and/or after the judge hears the witnesses, as to why you should win your case for disability and / or SSI.

Know when to keep quiet.

	An experienced attorney often is able to "read" the Social Security judge and evaluate the evidence to get an idea if the hearing is going in your favor.
	If the hearing seems to be going well, a good lawyer knows that the best strategy is often to keep quiet in order to keep additional information from being presented that may just confuse the Social Security judge or make your case seem more problematic than it really is.
	An inexperienced lawyer (or a lawyer that likes to hear himself or herself talk) may needlessly keep a Social Security Disability hearing going and run the risk of having things come out that will just complicate a case.

You must answer out loud and in words.

	If you shake or nod your head, your answer will not be recorded.
	If you say "uh-huh" or other sounds that are not words, the recording may not be clear.

You should speak loudly so that the recording is clear and everyone in the room can hear your answers.

	There will be a microphone at the hearing but it only records your voice, it does not make your voice louder.
	I always tell my client to speak as loudly as I speak at the Social Security hearing.
	Speak loudly even if you are speaking with someone sitting next to you, such as an interpreter or your attorney.

You should describe things with words instead of just pointing or making gestures at the Social Security hearing.

	If you are asked where you have pain and you point to your low back and say "here," the audio recording will not show where "here" is.
	Instead, say "I have pain in the middle of my lower back" or "in my right knee" or in whatever body part you want to identify.

Only one person should speak at a time during the Social Security hearing..

	If two or more people speak at the same time, the recording will not be understandable.
	If you know what a question will be before the question is finished, wait until the question is finished so that the recording is clear and complete.
	If you are using an interpreter, wait until he or she finishes interpreting even if you understand the question in English.
	If you are using an interpreter and need to give a long answer, stop if the interpreter begins to translate so that he or she can translate that part of your answer before you continue with the rest of your answer.

Questions about your background, such as:

	When and where you were born.
	How far you went in school, whether you had any technical vocational education, and perhaps whether you had special education classes.
	What kinds of jobs you had during the 15 years before you became disabled, including: The type of work you did. How heavy your work was, including how much weight you had to frequently lift and carry and the most weight you had to frequently lift and carry. Whether you supervised other people. Whether you had to fill out forms, write reports or complete other paperwork as part of your job. Whether you left your job voluntarily or were terminated and why you left or were terminated.

Questions about your daily life, such as:

	What time you go to bed, how well you sleep, and what time you get up.
	With whom you live and how well you get along with them.
	How you pass the day.
	How often you leave your home, how you get around, and the places you go to.
	Whether you visit people and whether people visit you.
	How you get to your medical appointments.
	The types of chores you do at home, including whether you prepare meals.
	The types of daily activities you need help with and who helps you.
	If you take medication, how often you take it and if you need help remembering when to take it.

Questions about how your medical and/or psychiatric conditions limit you.

	You do not need to know the medical terms for your conditions or the dates of your appointments.  The judge will have reviewed your medical records and know this information.  What the judge wants to know at the hearing is how your medical problems affect you.
	If you have physical problems, you will be asked such things as: If you have pain, where you have pain, how often you have it, what the pain is like (sharp, dull, throbbing, etc.), what makes the pain better or worse, what you do to try and control the pain, if medication relieves the pain. How much weight you can comfortably lift and carry. How long you can stand comfortably in one position before you have to sit down. How long you can sit comfortably. Whether you need to lie down during the day. How far you can walk without stopping.  (Usually it is easier to answer this type of question in terms of time instead of distance.)
	If you have psychiatric problems, you will be asked such things as: What kinds of things you like to do. How your appetite is and whether you have gained or lost weight. How your energy level is. Whether you often feel guilty or feel like you have no self worth. Whether you can follow along when you are reading or following a program. If you ever think of hurting yourself or have tried to hurt yourself. If you ever hear or see things that are not really there. If you feel comfortable around groups of people. If you often feel that people are watching you or talking about you. If you sometimes get so overwhelmed trying to complete tasks that you lose your normal ability to function for some time.

If your condition is so severe that it meets the level of severity listed by Social Security for your condition.

If your condition equals the required level of severity.  To equal a listing means that your condition does not meet the technical requirements of the listing but that your medical signs, symptoms, laboratory findings and physical or mental limitations are similar to those required by the listing.

What limitations you are likely to have as a result of your medical problems.

Describe the skills that you would have learned in the jobs that you held.

Describe the physical and mental requirements of your jobs.

Say whether a person with physical and/or mental limitations similar to yours would be able to do any jobs that you did during the past 15 years.

Say whether a person with physical and/or mental limitations similar to yours would be able to do any jobs that exist in reasonable numbers in the nation or in your state.