Matthew Shupe Available Now

I started practicing disability law because I enjoy fighting for the little guy and I can relate to how a person's health can derail an entire family. I come from a solidly blue-collar background and did not even know what a lawyer was when my uncle was in a terrible accident in 1993 that left him permanently disabled. I remember how confused we all were when the government denied his application for Social Security Disability benefits after many months of waiting. It was pretty clear to our family that a person who could not walk to the bathroom without severe pain could not be expected to work a full-time job. Thankfully, a lawyer working for the Legal Aid Society stepped in to help my family navigate the application process. My heart remains with people who work for a living. In my late 20s I was diagnosed with a chronic, incurable autoimmunue disease. Unfortunately, living with a chronic condition has provided unique insight into the pain my clients live with day in, day out. Fortunately, living with a chronic condition has increased both my empathy for others and my ability to persist through the difficult times in life we all must face. Although my primary focus is creating good legal precedents for disability claimants through federal litigation, I also frequently meet with new clients at many of our nine (9) offices located throughout Northern Ohio and represent clients at their administrative hearings. I basically do whatever is required.