RAYMOND A. CEBULA is a member of the Extension Faculty of Cornell University's Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability. As a faculty member, he provides technical assistance and training to Protection and Advocacy program attorneys and paralegals in 16 states and territories covered by Cornell's Work Incentive Support Center.
As an experienced social security disability attorney Mr. Cebula practiced with the Disability Benefits Project as a Senior Staff Attorney with the Disability Law Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He has also served as a Managing Attorney of the Disability and Medicare projects at Southeastern Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation. He is a graduate of Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, NH and received a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship upon graduation. He is also a graduate of Merrimack College and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. His practice has concentrated in the area of social security practice and has brought several pieces of significant litigation on behalf of low income, disabled social security beneficiaries. While working with the Disability Law Center, Mr. Cebula taught at Harvard Law School’s Legal Aid Bureau for a period of three academic years.
He is the co-author of the MCLE publication An Advocate’s Guide to Surviving the SSI System, as well as several SSI practice manuals published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, and is a regular presenter of social security related programs at local and national conferences of social security practitioners.
SIGNIFICANT LITIGATION:
Alakel v. Sullivan, District of Massachusetts, 90-11635-T, 1993.
Class action challenge to the Social Security Administration's implementation of the representative payment program.
Correia v. Gallant, 414 Mass. 157, 605 NE2d 1233 (Mass. 1993).
Class action challenge to the disability determination process of the Massachusetts Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children program.
Calaf v. Shalala, First Circuit, 94-1916, 1994.
Case of first impression concerning the payment of SSI benefits to prisoners subject to electronic monitoring devices.
Parisi v. Shalala, 69 F.3d 614 (1st Cir. 1995).
Case of first impression challenging the calculation method used to determine auxiliary benefits under the Title II disability program. Resulted in adjustment of national policy in accordance with decision.
Kiedos v. Apfel, 97-30149-MAP, 1997.
First Circuit class action challenging the retroactive implementation of the SSI noncitizen ban provisions of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act.