When I first started working at Jarvis & Modun, Attorney Modun told me, “The good news is that there are dozens of discrete tasks that we do here, so you’ll never get bored! The bad news is that once you’ve mastered them, you’ll do them over & over again.” I still feel like I can relate more to the former statement than the latter. Representing claimants for Social Security Disability claims sometimes makes me feel like one of the blind men who has hold of the proverbial elephant. Claimants come to us at every stage of the game: pre initial application, maybe after a denial or two, or even at hearing level! Every claim is different, and I never stop learning. One thing that’s helpful to me in understanding all there is to do here…Workers’ Compensation, long-term disability, short-term disability, personal injury, etc…is that my coworkers and I often find ourselves still dissecting & discussing a case, even after hours! We have our fingers in each other’s pie in the best way. Even when we take breaks from work, we like to keep things fun in the office by doing things like solving puzzles as a team.

My bachelor’s degree is in psychology, and to me one of the most meaningful aspects of this work is hearing people’s stories. Our clients are good people with strong work histories who want to work but are prevented by physical or mental impairments. It’s gratifying to put a ton of effort into a claim on behalf of—and with—a client, and then get a fully favorable decision.

When I’m not working part-time as a legal assistant, the rest of the week I produce local entertainment…right here in Vermont. (I’ve even gotten both attorneys to get on stage in costume!) When I find myself with downtime between the law office and my work as a producer, I like to play trivia games, workout, read (I love the classics of literature and The New York Times), snowshoe in winter, and standup paddleboard or just find a good cold swimming hole in summer. I live in Barre and love it!