Patrick H. Donahue, Attorney and General Counsel
Pat Donahue, an attorney in our Lawrence, Kan., office, has over 20 years of experience representing Social Security claimants throughout the United States at all administrative levels. He is admitted to the bar in Kansas, the federal courts in Kansas and Colorado, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the United States Supreme Court. Pat is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives and is an accomplished author and speaker on Social Security, veterans’ benefits and elder law. He is the chair of the Kansas Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee, is a former chair of the Elder Law Committee and was a recipient of the KBA Outstanding Service Award. Pat has served as a board member for the Kansas Coalition on Aging, the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging and the Topeka Downtown Rotary Club. He is a past president and vice president of the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association, past president of the LZ Russell Association and a past chair of the City of Lawrence Arts Commission. Pat was a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award and is currently serving as a district committee member. A Vietnam veteran, Pat was a captain in the United States Marine Corps. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in Chemistry and Physical Science from Emporia State University and is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law. Contact Pat Donahue.
Mike Morgan, Attorney
Mike Morgan, an attorney in our Wichita, Kan., office, joined Disability Professionals in 1997, focusing his practice on disability advocacy in Kansas. He began his career in 1970 as an assistant state attorney in Miami, Fla., before being appointed to division chief in 1973. Mike joined the Wichita district attorney’s office as an assistant district attorney in 1974 and tried over 200 felony jury cases as a prosecutor with a high conviction rate. He went into private practice in 1977 and worked on a variety of cases involving criminal defense, medical malpractice and personal injury before joining Wichita Legal Services in 1980. In late 1989, Mike encouraged five private attorneys to obtain a temporary restraining order preventing the elimination of the MediKan program. As lead counsel of the class action, he received a temporary injunction in 1990 preventing the implementation of a new regulation that reduced available services. Although the case was later lost in 1993, the lawsuit continued the General Assistance program in Kansas that is still in effect today. Mike has served on the CLE committee of the Wichita Bar Association for nine years and has participated in a number of CLE programs in the areas of disability advocacy, Medicare and ethics on behalf of the Kansas Bar Association and the WBA. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law and also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Biology from KU. Contact Mike Morgan.
Ross Stubblefield, Attorney
Ross Stubblefield, an attorney in our Blue Springs, Mo., office, litigates cases before Administrative Law Judges throughout the United States; primarily in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. He successfully represents Social Security claimants at all administrative levels in over 100 yearly court hearings. Ross has done extensive research of complex Social Security issues and analyzes hundreds of potential cases annually to determine the merits of the claim for benefits. He develops litigation strategy for all open cases, argues both oral and written appeals in Federal District Court, and writes fully favorable decisions for Administrative Law Judges. Ross has been a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives since 1996, was a speaker at the 2007 Fall NOSSCR conference and is a frequent presenter at CLE events. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economic & Business Administration from Drury University in Springfield, Mo., and is a 1991 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Contact Ross Stubblefield.
Jane Ebisch, Attorney
After receiving her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, Jane G. Ebisch moved west and received her law degree from the University of Colorado in 1985. She graduated in the top 25% of her law school class, and was licensed to practice law in all Colorado state and federal courts in 1985. She received her license to practice in Arizona in 1996. Ms. Ebisch is licensed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. She is a member of the Colorado Bar Association and is a Colorado Bar Fellow and has been a member of the Bar's ethics committee for more than ten years. Ms. Ebisch has been a representative to the Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors since 2008. Ms. Ebisch is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She is currently the Appellate Practice and Procedures editor of Trial Talk Magazine, published by the Colorado Trial Lawyers' Association, and has published numerous articles in Colorado legal publications relating to appellate practice and ethics. Contact Jane Ebisch.
Nick Purifoy, Attorney
Nick Purifoy focuses his practice on appealing Social Security denials in the federal courts. Currently, he is licensed to practice in the state of Missouri, the U.S. District Courts of Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and the western district of Missouri, and the 8th and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Nick recently lectured on effective federal appeals strategies for the Kansas Bar Association.
Prior to joining Disability Professionals, Nick represented hundreds of Social Security disability claimants in over 30 states on behalf of a nationwide disability law firm. While in law school, he was a member of the trial advocacy team that finished 3rd in the nation in the 2005 American Trial Lawyers Association Mock Trial competition. Nick obtained his Bachelor of Science in Justice Systems from Truman State University and is a 2005 graduate of Washburn University School of Law. Contact Nick Purifoy.
Anna Hawes, Attorney
Anna Hawes, an attorney in our Blue Springs, Mo., office, joined Disability Professionals as a law clerk prior to passing the bar and is licensed in Missouri and Iowa. She completed a 2007 externship with the Missouri Public Service Commission, Office of the General Counsel, and served as a legal intern for Commissioner Robert Clayton III from 2007-08. Anna was a member of the Missouri Environmental Law and Policy Review from 2006-07 and participated in the 2007 Manfred Lachs Space Moot Court competition. She was on the MU advocacy team at the Jessup International Moot Court competition in 2006 and 2008 and acted as team coordinator in 2007. Anna spent six months studying at the Hochschule Bremen in Germany during her undergraduate studies. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in German Language & Literature from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is a 2008 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law in Columbia, Mo. Contact Anna Hawes.
Teresa Click, Certified Social Security Non-Attorney Representative
Teresa Click, a certified non-attorney Social Security disability representative in our Wichita, Kansas., office, has over 17 years experience in Social Security disability benefits and pubic benefit programs. She has been with the firm since 1997 and prior to that, she was a Social Security paralegal with Kansas Legal Services, Inc. She has served as a member of Wichita’s Homeless Services Coalition from 1994 through 1997 and remains involved with community outreach and support. She has provided support and educational programs for our sister company, Midland Professional Services as well as Sedgwick County’s mental health treatment clinic, Comcare. Teresa is a graduate of Wichita States University and has earned her degree in Administration of Justice and Anthropology. Her graduate work includes an emphasis in Legal Anthropology and Human Rights issues. Teresa has been involved with fundraisers for the Women’s Crisis Shelter and has volunteered for the Make-A-Wish foundation to help disabled children. Contact Teresa Click.
Ginger Ryan, Certified Social Security Non-Attorney Representative
Ginger Ryan, a certified non-attorney Social Security disability representative in our Pueblo, Colo., office, joined Disability Professionals in April 2006. Prior to that, she was a Public Benefits Specialist with our sister company, Midland Professional Services. She served as a board member of the Pueblo Domestic Violence Task Force from 1998-2000 and was on staff at Colorado Legal Services from 1997-2000. Ginger became certified under the Social Security Administration’s demonstration project in July 2007 and has nine years of experience in handling disability cases. She earned a legal assistant degree from Pueblo College of Business & Technology in 1996. Ginger is involved in fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Foundation and Feed the Poor, coaches youth soccer for the YMCA and enjoys church and family activities. Contact Ginger Ryan.
Heather Mueller, Certified Social Security Non-Attorney Representative
Heather Mueller, a Certified Social Security Non-Attorney Representative in our Sioux Falls, South Dakota office, joined Disability Professionals in July 2010. In 2009, Heather passed the examination and met the eligibility requirements to serve claimants under the Social Security Demonstration Project – now the Social Security Disability Applicants’ Access to Professional Representation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-142). Prior to joining Disability Professionals, she represented claimants as a public benefits administrator with our sister company, Midland Professional Services, since October 2007. Heather has over nine years of experience working with Social Security Disability Programs. Heather has earned an Associate Commissioner Citation for outstanding contributions and has been honored for her volunteer work at Southeastern Behavioral Health. Heather earned her B.A. in psychology and human services with a minor in sociology in 1992 from Westmar University in LeMars, Iowa. Contact Heather Mueller.
