Before Jeffrey Milam started his own law practice in 1990, he spent more than seven years on the inside of the Social Security Administration as an attorney and adviser to Administrative Law Judges. He watched how ALJs evaluated evidence, how they weighed medical records, and what made a claim succeed or fail at the hearing stage. He then left that role and began representing claimants, bringing the ALJ perspective to the other side of the table. The firm has now operated for over 35 years with that founding orientation.
Milam Law handles Social Security disability and Veterans disability cases from offices in Sacramento, Fresno, Roseville, Grass Valley, and Modesto, with services available statewide in California.
www.milamlaw.com/
2325 El Camino Ave., Sacramento, CA 95821
Phone: (916) 486-4245
Practice Areas
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI is the federal disability benefit program for workers who have accumulated sufficient work credits and become unable to work due to a medical condition expected to last at least 12 months or result in death. Milam Law represents claimants through the initial application, reconsideration, ALJ hearing, and appeal stages. Given Jeffrey Milam’s prior role as an SSA attorney/adviser, the firm’s case preparation reflects familiarity with how ALJs evaluate records and testimony.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI serves individuals who are disabled but do not qualify for SSDI or who qualify for only a small SSDI amount due to limited work history. This includes individuals who became disabled before working, workers with insufficient credits, and those whose SSDI benefit falls below the SSI threshold. Milam Law represents SSI claimants through the same multi-stage process as SSDI.
Veterans Disability
The firm represents veterans seeking disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. This includes claims for service-connected conditions, Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) ratings, and challenges to existing schedular ratings that may be set too low. TDIU can provide full disability compensation to a veteran who cannot maintain substantially gainful employment even if the combined rating does not reach 100%.
Appeals Representation
Milam Law handles the full range of Social Security appeals: reconsideration requests following initial denials, preparation for and representation at ALJ hearings, and federal district court appeals when administrative options are exhausted. One case litigated by the firm was taken through federal courts for eight years before ultimately being argued before the US Supreme Court, a fact that illustrates the firm’s willingness to pursue appeals to their conclusion.
Language Services
The firm provides interpretation and translation services in Spanish, Lao, Cambodian, and Hmong, allowing clients who do not speak English as their primary language to communicate accurately in their disability proceedings.
Attorney Profile
Jeffrey Milam
Jeffrey Milam holds a BA from the University of Virginia (1977) and a law degree (specific institution not publicly confirmed). Before founding his practice in 1990, he spent more than seven years as an attorney and adviser to Social Security Administration Administrative Law Judges. His California State Bar license number is 71953.
The firm has 45 or more years of combined attorney experience and operates from multiple California offices. One case in the firm’s history was litigated for eight years through federal courts and eventually reached the US Supreme Court.
Location and Service Area
The firm’s Sacramento office is at 2325 El Camino Ave. Additional offices are in Fresno, Roseville, Grass Valley, and Modesto. The firm serves clients throughout Central Valley California and statewide. Live phone availability is offered on a 24/7 basis for prospective clients.
Client Focus
Milam Law serves individuals who cannot work due to disability and are navigating the Social Security disability system, as well as veterans pursuing Department of Veterans Affairs compensation. The firm’s language services, covering Spanish, Lao, Cambodian, and Hmong, extend access to clients in California’s Central Valley communities whose primary language is not English.
Free consultations are available. The firm works on a contingency basis, meaning no upfront costs, with fees paid only if benefits are obtained. The specific fee percentage is not publicly disclosed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the practical effect of having a founding attorney who was formerly an SSA adviser to ALJs?
An attorney who spent seven years advising ALJs has direct insight into how those judges evaluate disability claims, what evidence they find persuasive, and what patterns of reasoning tend to lead to approval or denial. Jeffrey Milam built his own practice on that knowledge base, and it has been the firm’s distinguishing characteristic since 1990.
What is Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) for veterans?
TDIU is a VA rating that grants full disability compensation to a veteran who is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities, even if the combined schedular rating does not reach 100%. Veterans who are effectively unemployable due to their service-connected conditions may qualify even without a 100% rating.
What languages does the firm provide services in?
The firm offers translation and interpretation in Spanish, Lao, Cambodian, and Hmong. This is particularly relevant given the firm’s Central Valley California practice area, which includes significant Southeast Asian and Spanish-speaking communities.
Can the firm handle a case that has already been denied multiple times?
Yes. The firm handles cases at reconsideration, ALJ hearing, and federal district court appeal stages. Multiple prior denials do not automatically disqualify a claimant from appeal, and the grounds for reversal at each successive level differ from those at the prior stage.
About the Firm
Thirty-five years of exclusive Social Security disability and Veterans disability practice, built by an attorney who spent seven years on the inside of the SSA’s adjudication process, gives Milam Law a practice history that is specific enough to be meaningful. The multi-office footprint across California’s Central Valley and the multilingual service capacity reflect the client population the firm actually serves. Consultations are free and available at (916) 486-4245 with 24-hour live phone access. More information is available at www.milamlaw.com.