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Meet Attorney Harvey Sackett 

SACKETT & ASSOCIATES · FOUNDING ATTORNEY

Meet Attorney Harvey Sackett

Written by the Sackett & Associates team. Reviewed by Attorney Harvey Sackett. Last Update: July 2026

Attorney Harvey Sackett has represented people with disabilities since 1980, and in more than four decades he has handled over 15,000 SSDI and SSI claims. That experience is the foundation of everything Sackett & Associates does.

As the founding attorney, Harvey has spent his entire legal career on Social Security Disability, one of the few areas of law where deep, sustained focus changes outcomes for real people. He has worked cases at every level, from the first application to the bar of the United States Supreme Court.

  • 44 YEARS ONLY IN SSD LAW
  • 15,000+ CLIENTS REPRESENTED
  • 10,000+ ALJ HEARINGS
  • 100+ FEDERAL APPEALS

Approximate figures, 1980 to present.

Background and Education 

We focus only on disability law because that focus is what wins cases. A firm that handles a little of everything treats disability as an afterthought, and we took the opposite path.

By concentrating on SSDI and SSI claims for more than four decades, we’ve learned how SSA evaluates medical evidence, how Administrative Law Judges weigh testimony, and how to question the vocational and medical experts whose opinions decide a hearing. That depth is why so much of our work comes from people whose claims were denied somewhere else. A denial isn’t the end of the road. It’s often the point where experienced representation matters most.

How We Help at Every Stage

We handle every stage of a disability claim, from the first application through federal court appeal. Whichever benefit you're seeking and wherever your case stands, the pages below explain what to expect

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

Benefits you earned through the Social Security taxes you paid while working.

Where We Serve

We represent disabled clients across Northern California and accept cases nationwide. Our roots are local, and we know the hearing offices where these cases are decided.

We've appeared before Administrative Law Judges at hearing offices from San Jose to Sacramento to Eureka, and each office has its own scheduling patterns and procedural habits. We prepare for the office that will hear your case, not a generic version of the process.

List of Cities:

See all areas we serve →

Harvey Sackett earned his law degree at Western State College of Law after completing his undergraduate work at The Ohio State University. He has practiced Social Security Disability law exclusively since 1980, and has built the firm around that single focus. 

Bar Admissions and Federal Court Experience 

Harvey Sackett is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. District Court for all four California districts. When a disability case calls for federal review, the firm has the credentials to pursue it. 

He has handled roughly 100 cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals and conducted approximately 10,000 hearings before Administrative Law Judges since 1980. Federal court is the final stage of a disability appeal, and few disability attorneys have argued there as often. 

  • United States Supreme Court:  admitted to the Bar 
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 
  • U.S. District Court:  Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California 

A Recognized Voice in Social Security Disability Law 

Harvey Sackett helped shape how Social Security Disability law is practiced in Northern California. He was the first chairperson of the Santa Clara County Bar Association’s Committee on Social Security Law, and served as California State Chairperson for the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR). 

He has published articles on disability law, lectured at continuing-education conferences across the country, and appeared on public-television legal-affairs programs. 

LEADERSHIP ROLES 

  • First Chairperson, Santa Clara County Bar Association Committee on Social Security Law 
  • California State Chairperson, National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) 

PUBLICATIONS 

  • “Vocational Testimony in Social Security Cases: Required or Not?” IN BRIEF (Santa Clara County Bar Association Journal), Vol. 18, No. 2, Summer 1981 

TEACHING 

  • Visiting Lecturer, Institute for Paralegal Education, University of Santa Clara, Administrative Agency Representation (1985 to 1987) 

SELECTED SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS 

For more than 25 years, Harvey Sackett was a regular presenter at national NOSSCR conferences and California bar programs on the issues shaping disability practice: 

  • NOSSCR, San Diego 1982:  Vocational Assessment and Expert Testimony 
  • NOSSCR, San Francisco 1984:  Attorney’s Fees in Administrative Cases, and in Federal Court Litigation 
  • NOSSCR, San Francisco 1987:  Mechanics and Ethics of a Disability Practice 
  • KCSM-TV (PBS) 1990:  Legal Currents, Social Security 
  • Santa Clara County Bar Assn. 1991:  1991 Social Security Amendments and Updates 
  • NOSSCR, Chicago 1991:  Attorney’s Fees Under the EAJA, Post-Melkonyan Era 
  • NOSSCR, Seattle 1992:  Traps for the Unwary: Melkonyan and the Equal Access to Justice Act 
  • NOSSCR, New York 1994:  Attorney’s Fees Motions in Federal Court under Section 406(b) 
  • NOSSCR, Chicago 1997:  Social Security Rulings, the Taproot of the Social Security Act 
  • Santa Clara County Bar Assn. 1998:  Pro Bono Representation of Claimants before the District Court 
  • NOSSCR, Seattle 2000:  Cross-Examining Vocational Experts to Win Your Case 
  • NOSSCR, Chicago 2003:  Effective District Court and Circuit Court Brief Writing 
  • NOSSCR, Los Angeles 2008:  Writing Circuit Court Briefs and Oral Argument 

Recognition and Memberships 

San Jose Magazine twice named Harvey Sackett one of Silicon Valley’s best lawyers. His memberships reflect decades of standing in the disability bar. 

  • National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), Member and California State Chairperson 
  • State Bar of California, Member 
  • Santa Clara County Bar Association, First Chairperson of the Committee on Social Security Law 
  • United States Supreme Court, admitted to the Bar 
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, admitted 
  • Named one of Silicon Valley’s best lawyers by San Jose Magazine (twice) 

Beyond the Practice 

Outside the firm, Harvey supports causes close to home. He gives to the SPCA, the Napa Humane Society, and Feeding America, and he funds a scholarship for the hearing impaired at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in memory of his father. 

Read Attorney Harvey Sackett’s full bio

Frequently Asked Questions

Harvey Sackett has practiced Social Security Disability law exclusively since 1980, more than four decades. In that time he has represented over 15,000 disabled clients. 

Harvey Sackett is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California. 

Yes. He has handled approximately 100 cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals, so the firm takes a disability claim to federal court when the record supports it. 

Yes. Sackett & Associates represents disabled claimants nationwide, in addition to its Northern California clients. 

Disclaimer: This page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every disability case is different. For advice about your specific situation, contact a qualified Social Security Disability attorney or representative. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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