About Me

Heather Bradford Runkel has devoted her entire legal career to Social Security disability law - developing a depth of expertise that few practitioners can match.

​

After earning her law degree, Heather was admitted to the California State Bar in 2008 and joined a large Social Security disability law firm, where she spent three years handling cases at every level - from initial applications through the Appeals Council. During that time, she took on a leadership role that extended well beyond casework, training both attorney and non-attorney staff, evaluating cases for acceptance, and developing analytical tools to assess case success rates and identify the most effective hearing strategies.

​

In 2015, Heather was admitted to the Washington State Bar and has since built a distinguished nine-year career as a contract attorney, representing clients at hearings and drafting pre-hearing briefs, On the Record requests, and Appeals Council briefs for firms across the country. Today, she is based in Seattle, Washington, where she continues to partner with Social Security disability practices nationwide.

​

With over 15 years of focused experience, Heather brings not only legal knowledge, but a practitioner's understanding of what makes a case succeed - making her an invaluable resource for the attorneys and firms she supports.

​