Dec 15, 2005

California Social Security Lawyer Under Investigation in Oregon

Daniel Bernath, a lawyer who is licensed in California but who was denied bar admission in Oregon, is drawing attention from the Oregon bar for possible unauthorized practice after running newspaper ads in Oregon seeking Social Security clients by promising to cut the wait time for a hearing to a few weeks and reminding potential clients that they could switch lawyers, according to a wweek editorial.

June 18, 2006 Addendum:

Mr. Bernath has e-mailed me six months after this was first published to complain that the underlying article in wweek was unfair to him in using the work "promise" in describing what Mr. Bernath was saying to prospective clients. Here is a quote from a portion of Mr. Bernath's website:
  • You have an absolute right to switch attorneys at any stage of your Social Security Disability case.
  • Ask me how I can speed up your wait to a few months or weeks. Most people waiting for Social Security disability benefits have to wait a year and a half before a hearing and then months for the written decision of the Judge.
Obviously, Mr. Bernath does not use the word "promise" in this website, making the wweek statement inaccurate in this detail.

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