2022 year end recap. Happy new year 2023!

2022: A Year of Growth and Community Support

Without a doubt, 2022 was a standout year for Disability Law Group. We were able to achieve record highs and surpass our goals, thanks to the support of our community, the trust of our clients, and the dedication of our team. Our mission has always been improving lives, and we were able to help thousands of clients with their Social Security Disability and VA Benefits claims, resulting in millions of dollars in benefits, with much-needed insurance coverage for many, in 2022.

One of our 2022 core memories was our Annual Free Legal Aid & Resource Fair, which provided free legal advice in a wide range of areas, free health screening, and valuable community resources. This event has always been an enormous success; this year was no exception, with more than 100 people coming out! We were thrilled to provide such valuable community resources, partnering with incredible organizations and referral firms, and we look forward to an even larger Fair planned for 2023. Save the Date: May 19, 2023!

We have also supported the community in other ways – from speaking to local non-profits, educational webinars, legal workshops, and more. Our team volunteered at countless community events, including providing Thanksgiving meals to hundreds of Michigan residents and sponsoring twelve children for Christmas, providing everything from basic needs to wish-list items comprised of bicycles, iPads, toys, and more. Giving back to our community is a top priority for Disability Law Group, and we are always looking for new ways to make a positive impact.

To further recognize and celebrate those who go above and beyond in their communities, we introduced our DLG Superheroes program. This program highlights local individuals who have performed selfless acts and put the needs of others before their own. If you know someone who deserves recognition as a DLG Superhero, we encourage you to nominate them to receive the recognition they deserve throughout the year and to win fun prizes!

In 2022, our team also grew considerably, adding ten additional staff over the course of the year – going from 27 to 37 total DLG team members – allowing us to serve our clients better and meet the demands of our growing business. We also kicked down walls in 2022 in the literal sense! Our Grand Opening showcased our new, larger space, which has provided us with the room and resources we need to continue to grow.

Our attorneys at Disability Law Group were also recognized with several prestigious awards this year: from Michigan Super Lawyer Rising Star and AVVO Client Choice Award to ABA Young Leaders Award and the AV Preeminent Attorney award, and more. These awards are a testament to our dedication, expertise, and compassion, and the results we have delivered for our clients, and we could not be more proud.

Overall, 2022 was a momentous year for Disability Law Group. We are deeply grateful for our community’s support and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those with disabilities. We have big plans for 2023, and we can’t wait to share more big announcements soon! From all of us at Disability Law Group – thank you for your support and trust, and we look forward to strengthening our communities together in 2023.

erika riggs

Attorney Erika A. Riggs Receives AV Preeminent Recognition

Disability Law Group is proud to congratulate Attorney Erika A. Riggs for recently receiving the AV preeminent recognition by the attorney evaluator Martindale-Hubbell. 

Martindale-Hubbell has been evaluating attorneys for their legal abilities and ethical standards for more than 130 years. They are the most trusted source for attorney evaluations. They use a Peer Review Rating system in which other attorneys in the same geographic and specialty area review their peers. Eligible attorneys can receive various ratings. The AV Preeminent® rating is the highest peer rating standard and is reserved for attorneys who have ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards. 

Erika A. Riggs co-founded Disability Law Group in 2019 with her two partners, Mandy Kelly and Randall Mansour. Together, they had a singular focus: to help improve the lives of those in their community. Erika knew from a young age she was going to be an attorney and an advocate. She also helped her parents through the disability process, so she knows firsthand how complex this process can be and offers a helping hand to other community members who are struggling to receive the benefits they need. Her firm focuses exclusively on Social Security and Veterans Affairs disability cases. 

Erika Riggs founded the firm with a focus on treating every client with respect and compassion from the moment they enter their firm until their case is concluded. The firm’s motto is “Every client matters.” Erika exemplifies this commitment to client service in everything she does, including representing clients before the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs, participating in legal organizations designed to assist individuals with disabilities such as the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives and the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates, and her work with her non-profit organization, The 313 Project, an organization that provides scholarships for at-risk youth and pro-bono legal advice. 

Erika and her firm, Disability Law Group, host an annual Free Legal Aid and Resource Fair to provide free legal advice, health screenings, and critical support services to community members. She is committed to helping other lawyers develop their legal skills and is a member of the State Bar of Michigan – Public Outreach & Education committee and regularly provides education on disability-related matters to other lawyers.

The AV Preeminent award is only the latest award conferred to this exemplary legal advocate. She has also received the American Bar Association’s On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers Award, a national recognition provided to young lawyers who display a broad range of high achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and legal and community service. She has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Super Lawyers’Rising Star each year from 2018 through 2022, an honor that is provided to only 2.5 percent of attorneys practicing in Michigan. Additionally, she has received Avvo’s “Client Choice Award” every year since 2016 and was awarded the “Leaders in the Law Award” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly in 2021.

Disability Law Group congratulates Erika A. Riggs on this latest accomplishment and her unwavering commitment to client service. 

 

About Disability Law Group

Disability Law Group is based in Troy, Michigan. The firm focuses exclusively on disability cases and helps individuals with disabilities seek Social Security and VA disability benefits.

Attorney Erika Riggs wins the Crisp Effect Challenge of 2022

What Is the Crisp Effect?

The Crisp Effect is a challenge for Crisp clients – made up of hundreds of law firm owners – to see who can have the most transformative growth by going outside their comfort zones. This can encompass professional and personal development, including enhancing their teams, clients’ experiences, personal health, revenue growth, and community impact.

A few years before opening her law firm together with her two partners, Erika lost her mother following a brief but courageous battle with small-cell lung cancer. She also needed to be there for her two small boys, so she wasn’t confident about whether to open her law firm. She gathered a lot of courage, as she knew her mother wouldn’t be around to witness it all. However, she knew that her mother would have been proud of her, and she is now grateful that she jumped on this opportunity.

During the Crisp challenge, Erika stood out in her monthly videos and pressed herself to make significant progress in her personal and professional life. Erika sent in monthly videos in the Crisp Effect group, documenting her struggles, triumphs, and transformation with tenacity and determination.

The goal of this challenge was to see who had transformed their law practice the most in the most game-changing and dynamic ways, not who had the most money, the biggest team, or the largest market share. In October, attorneys from around the globe selected the top ten videos from the hundreds of law firms that competed in the Challenge. During the 2022 Game Changers Summit, only the top 10 videos were played in front of thousands of attorneys and firm owners in attendance for a final vote.

At the 2022 Game Changers Summit, Erika was determined to be the winner. Numerous markers set her apart, including firm culture, community involvement, a new office, and tripling the number of cases at her firm. As the winner of the Crisp Effect Challenge, she walked away with the keys to Michael Mogill’s Tesla Model S Plaid.

 

Erika’s Focus At Disability Law Group

Erika was able to stay in command of her wildly successful law firm, Disability Law Group, with her clientele spread out across the country, and she remains dedicated to her practice of Social Security Disability and veterans disability benefits.

At her firm, Mrs. Riggs and her team help people in need – no matter where they live – with applications and appeals for disability benefits. She had this to say about her experience in the Crisp Effect Challenge:

“As an attorney and law firm owner, wearing many other critically important hats, I found that coaching has helped me immensely stay accountable to my goals and myself. I have been blessed to meet some incredible people through Crisp, including attorneys who are not only fierce advocates but wonderful leaders and community heroes that inspire me to do and be better for my firm, my family, and myself.”

Erika received recognition for her dedication and transformation in front of a gigantic crowd of law firm owners across the country. While winning the Tesla was an incredible prize, she feels grateful to be able to help improve the lives of her clients and those in her community through her firm’s important work. Congratulations to Erika Riggs!