The Social Security Disability Benefits Clinic gives Elon Law students hands-on experience assisting clients seeking federal disability benefits while providing critical legal support to individuals who might otherwise lack representation.

Students help prepare cases for hearings before administrative law judges by organizing medical and administrative records, preparing written briefs, developing case chronologies, and working directly with clients to prepare them for their hearings.

Offered during the winter trimester, the clinic operates through a partnership with Legal Aid of North Carolina and is taught by Adjunct Professor of Law Ashley Sappenfield, a board-certified specialist in Social Security Disability law. Students work within Legal Aid’s case management system and assist with active disability claims.

The clinic gives students practical experience in client interviewing, case preparation, and legal writing while exposing them to administrative law practice in a setting where advocacy can have an immediate impact on a client’s life.