The Social Security Forum

LAST CHANCE: A Judge’s Perspective: What Judges REALLY Need from Your Briefs and Arguments

December 18, 2025

Don’t miss your LAST CHANCE to join former ALJ Gina Carpenter as she highlights the critical phases immediately before and during the hearing. Learn to shape the narrative of your case and master the hearing room dynamics with a judge’s perspective on what truly moves a disability claim toward a favorable decision.

In this interactive virtual session, you will learn to:

  • Craft a Winning Pre-Hearing Memorandum: Understand what ALJs actually want to see—and what they don’t—in a pre-hearing memo. Learn how to strategically use your brief to frame the key issues, address negative evidence proactively, and focus the judge’s attention on the strongest aspects of your claimant’s case.
  • Structure Powerful Arguments: Get an expert breakdown on how to construct persuasive and concise opening and closing arguments. Discover techniques to set the tone, manage complex medical evidence, and weave the claimant’s testimony into a cohesive legal argument that resonates with the decisional standards.

There are three final chances to catch this session:

The same session will be offered three times tomorrow, December 19, at 9am, 11am, and 1pm Eastern. We’re doing this to keep the attendance small and interactive, maximizing your opportunity for direct Q&A and personalized feedback from the former ALJ.

Registration Information:
To register, click on the button below, then select your preferred time. You must be signed in to register.

These sessions are designed as interactive training sessions and thus have not been pre-approved for CLE credit; however, depending on your state rules, you may be able to self-submit the course after the fact. Please reach out to NOSSCR with any questions.