About Us
Michael Bell – Attorney
Michael Bell has been an attorney for over 34 years, licensed to practice in the States of Maine, New York, New Jersey, and Alaska, several federal courts, including the District Court for Maine, and the United States Supreme Court. He has practiced law in Maine since 1979, is a sustaining member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR), a founding member of MOSSCR (Maine Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives), and a member of the American and Maine Trial Lawyers Associations, and the American and Maine Bar Associations.
Mr. Bell attended Columbia College of Columbia University in New York City, and graduated Magna Cum Laude in June 1972. He went to law school at New York University and graduated in June 1975.
Attorney Bell joined Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) and was sent to Bethel, Alaska, where from November 1975 through October 1976, he was employed with Alaska Legal Services as a volunteer attorney, working on behalf of indigent clients. From October 1976 through May 1979, he was a lawyer in private practice, and also taught paralegal studies at the local college.
Since coming to Maine in May 1979, Attorney Bell’s work has concentrated on individuals with disabilities. He began with the Handicapped Rights Project in Portland, and later was the Directing Attorney of the Lewiston office of Pine Tree Legal Assistance, where a substantial amount of work involved administrative and federal court Social Security proceedings.
From August l98l, Mr. Bell has been a private attorney in Lewiston, first with Downeast Law Offices, P.A., then as Bell and Geores, then as Bell & Burke, P.A. Since July 1996, he became a sole practitioner, The Law Office of Michael A. Bell. His law practice in Maine has always concentrated in the area of representing disabled individuals, before the Social Security Administration, the Workers’ Compensation Board, and the Maine Public Employees Retirement System.
From January l980 through the present, Attorney Bell has worked on, or has supervised work on, over 3500 Social Security disability cases, at all administrative and federal court levels. His work has received recognition from the administrative law judges before whom he practices at the Portland Office of Hearings and Appeals. He has often taught at law conferences to help other attorneys learn about Social Security practice, and he has also been recognized by the Volunteer Lawyers Project for his pro bono work.
Mr. Bell is married to Patricia, has two children, and one granddaughter.
Law Office of Michael A. Bell
621 Main St.
Lewiston, ME 04240-5938
Phone: 207-786-0348
Fax: 207-783-6649
Susan Vatcher – Paralegal
She has lived in Maine since 1977, and has worked in various areas of the law, beginning in 1976.
She has worked with Attorney Bell as his paralegal since 1987, first at Bell and Geores, then at Bell & Burke, and since 1996 in his solo practice. She has been performing initial interviews on Social Security claims since 1993, along with medical records research, case analysis, and briefing. She was a participant in a seminar on Social Security Disability, sponsored by the Maine State Bar Association, in 1992.
Susan lives in Lewiston with her husband, Steve.
