Operational Upgrades

NOSSCR is pleased to announce its implementation of a new association management system. This upgrade will help us better serve our members in several ways. First, the new system will include more robust information about our members to help us provide events, products, and services that meet members’ needs and enhance their practices. With a better understanding of our members, we can engage them for legislative and political advocacy, help those in adjacent practice areas more easily connect, and streamline the renewal process for businesses with more than one practitioner. Our new backend payment system will simplify renewing memberships, registering for events, subscribing to services, and purchasing CLE content.

As part of this upgrade, you will be asked to update your data and may be prompted to renew if your membership lapsed.

New Listservs

This month, NOSSCR introduced three new listservs—NOSSCR Martin (all members), Legal Services/Nonprofit, and NextGen. Last year, NOSSCR took over management of the old SSL Martin list. The dated platform on which the old list operated made it increasingly difficult to keep emails out of spam filters, add or remove participants, and moderate posts that marketed for or against products, disparaged others, or risked liability. As part of NOSSCR’s new association management system rollout, NOSSCR launched its beta-testing version of “Communities.” After hearing members’ feedback, we upgraded our Communities to the familiar email-based format of listservs. We will continue to enhance the member experience and options in the coming months. The general NOSSCR Martin listserv is open to all NOSSCR members (there are no SSA employees in NOSSCR’s membership, and therefore none participating in the listservs), the Legal Services/Nonprofit listserv is intended for those NOSSCR members who qualify for our discounted nonprofit member rate, and the NextGen listserv is intended for those NOSSCR members who have been practicing Social Security law for less than ten years or are under the age of 40. We plan to add more listservs in the future.

We are thrilled to report that these new listservs are already used by many more individuals than the prior versions, welcoming several hundred new participants to another benefit of NOSSCR membership.

The terms and conditions of the listservs can be found by clicking the footer in any email or under the Communities tab on NOSSCR’s website. The answers to frequently asked questions can also be found under the Communities tab on NOSSCR’s website, which explains how to receive a digest version of the daily emails or set up rules for your inbox and answers other questions raised by members during this transition.

Referral Service Changes

NOSSCR has revised the rules for participating in the Referral Service, and we will notify members of these changes within the next few weeks. Paid registrants will be given a new opportunity to make a purchase.

NOSSCR’s referral service number is published on a notice sent to unrepresented claimants who have requested a hearing before an ALJ. When a claimant calls that number, they are routed to a participating NOSSCR member based on the claimant’s area code and the NOSSCR member’s selection of that area code from which to receive calls.

As a member benefit, every lawyer member who satisfies certain conditions is entitled to one free area code of their choice. If members wish to purchase additional area codes, they can select from one of three tiers—local, regional, or national. Local includes up to five area codes, regional includes up to 25 area codes, and national includes all 336 area codes. Sustaining members receive a 10% discount.

Members can subscribe to the Referral Service by selecting their participation tier and the area codes from which they want to receive calls. We also need the member’s preferred phone number for receiving incoming Referral Service calls and an email address.

Participation in the Referral Service is an annual subscription, billed monthly. The updated registrations and purchases will be launched as part of our upcoming systems upgrade, allowing for a smooth transaction using NOSSCR’s website. You will receive notice and an invitation in the coming weeks. After that, you can expect us to continue working on operational updates for the system—including providing members with more information about the calls that have been sent through.

Complete Referral Service rules can be found here.

Calendar Year Membership Renewals

NOSSCR is updating its membership renewal structure. Currently, renewal dates are based on a member’s joining anniversary. As a result, renewals occur unevenly throughout the year, reducing operational efficiency and options for membership renewal drives.

Effective September 1, 2023, the preferred renewal date will be October 1. We hope you will help us move your renewal date to October 1 by taking advantage of our current membership rates and a 5% discount for renewing for more than 12 months to bring your membership renewal date to October 1. If you choose to do so—and we hope you will—the renewal amount will automatically be prorated, and the discount will be applied.

Beginning in 2024, NOSSCR will launch an annual membership drive to renew existing memberships and attract new members.

Complete membership renewal rules can be found here.