Experience

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  Social Security Administration

  • Woodlawn, Maryland

  • Attorney-Advisor

    • Sep 2014 - Present
    • Woodlawn, Maryland

    • Extensively review and analyze case files—consisting primarily of medical, financial, and work history information—in appeals, before administrative law judges, of unfavorable State determinations under the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs• Draft persuasive, policy-compliant, legally supportable decisions for administrative law judges, analyzing claimants’ eligibility for benefits under those programs, and explaining and arguing for judges’ determinations as to eligibility• Advise judges on matters of law and policy• Confer with judges and with senior attorneys within the Office to ensure the efficient production of high quality legal work product supporting judges’ findings of fact and of law• Led a discussion among fellow attorneys of mission-critical training material and thereby facilitated accurate, consistent understanding of relevant legal doctrine throughout the office• Support the mission of the Office and of the Social Security Administration as a whole by working in a National Case Assistance Center, processing cases from across the nation and thereby ensuring consistency and uniformity in the determination of claimants’ disability status

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  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Champaign, Illinois

  • Adjunct Instructor

    • Aug 2014 - Aug 2014
    • Champaign, Illinois

    • Prepared and taught classes in legal writing and research to incoming international LLM students• Evaluated student performance on legal writing assignments• Met daily with supervising professors to report on student progress and address challenges

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  U.S. Department of Justice

  • Washington, D.C.

  • Intern

    • May 2013 - Aug 2013
    • Washington, D.C.

    At Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) I: • Researched legal issues relating primarily to prosecutorial misconduct• Wrote memoranda analyzing research and making recommendations• Observed interviews with targets of OPR’s investigations• Devised and implemented search strategies for extensive database of information relating to potential prosecutorial misconduct, for purposes of fact development in an OPR investigation

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  Circuit Court of Cook County (Criminal Division)

  • Chicago, IL

  • Intern

    • May 2012 - Aug 2012
    • Chicago, IL

    • Researched legal issues such as proximate cause, admissibility of evidence, provocation as a mitigating factor in murder, and the reporter’s privilege• Wrote memoranda analyzing research and making recommendations• Briefed Supreme Court cases for inclusion in a judge’s benchbook • Extensively reviewed original case file to assess petitioner’s eligibility for certificate of innocence; drafted an order that served as basis for judge’s final order

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  The University of Texas at Austin

  • Assistant Instructor, Teaching Assistant

    • Aug 2008 - May 2011

    As Assistant Instructor:• Led classes of 15-45 students; prepared and delivered lectures 2-5 times weekly• Created tools to evaluate student understanding and progress; determined final grades• Met with students individually for additional instruction• Supervised a teaching assistantAs Teaching Assistant:• Led discussion sections of 10-15 students• Evaluated student performance on examinations, papers, and homework• Met with students individually for additional instruction

  • Writing Consultant

    • Feb 2010 - Jul 2010

    • Identified challenges students face in written communication and argument structure• Analyzed student papers, looking for quality of argumentative support, clarity, standard grammar• Met with students to address these challenges and produce college-level written work

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  Verizon Wireless

  • Chicago, Illinois

  • Customer Service Representative, Sales Representative

    • Jun 2004 - Aug 2008
    • Chicago, Illinois

    • Advised customers as to product or service that would best meet their needs• Solved customer problems and resolved complaints regarding such issues as service and billing

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  The University of Texas at Austin

  • Austin, Texas

  • Teaching Assistant

    • Aug 2000 - May 2004
    • Austin, Texas

    • Led discussion sections of 10-15 students• Evaluated student performance on examinations, papers, and homework• Met with students individually for additional instruction