Adriana M. de la Torre
Attorney
Adriana’s practice focuses exclusively on representing individuals who have been denied Social Security benefits and must seek judicial review of the Social Security Administration’s decision in federal court. Adriana has extensive experience in litigating Social Security cases in the federal courts, where she zealously seeks to reverse the agency’s erroneous denial of benefits to claimants.
Adriana is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimant Representatives (NOSSCR) and regularly attends national disability conferences to stay current on the latest developments in Social Security Law that will enable her to continue to provide outstanding representation to her clients.
Given her experience, Adriana was invited to be a presenter at several national NOSSCR Conferences, including conferences in Denver, Miami, and Seattle. Adriana also has been a presenter at the Chicago Bar Association’s Social Security Disability Conference, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum. In addition to her multiple speaking engagements, Adriana has authored several articles on Social Security Disability Law for the Indianapolis Bar Association. Adriana is also active with the Indiana State Bar Association’s Social Security Disability group and the Orange County Bar Association’s Social Security Committee.
Prior to co-founding Tower Law Group in 2011 with her sister and law partner, Carina de la Torre, Adriana served as an Assistant Regional Counsel in the Social Security Administration’s Office of the General Counsel, Region V, Chicago. As an Assistant Regional Counsel, she defended the Agency in legal actions throughout federal courts in multiple states. During her tenure with the Agency, Adriana acquired a comprehensive knowledge of the Social Security Act, related federal and state statutes, regulations, Social Security Rulings, Agency interpretation of pertinent court decisions, and the court precedents in the Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Circuits. She was also appointed Special Assistant United States Attorney to represent the Agency in various jurisdictions, including: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Given her extensive experience in federal court, Adriana was selected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Association’s Social Security Section and as a member of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana’s Social Security Disability Work Group. She has also been appointed by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana as Mediation Assistance Program Counsel and has served as counsel through the Court’s Attorney Recruitment Program.
EDUCATION
Doctor of Jurisprudence (2006)
Fellow, Indiana CLEO (2003)
Member, Latino Law Students Association
Participant, Moot Court Competition
School of Law Student Ambassador
Bachelor of Arts (2002)
Recipient, National Dean’s List and Dean’s List
Founder, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity
Member, Golden Key International Honour Society
Florida Bright Futures Scholar
STATE ADMISSIONS
Illinois (2006)
Florida (2020)
FEDERAL APPELLATE COURTS
Supreme Court of the United States
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
FEDERAL ADMISSIONS
United States District Court, Illinois
• Northern District (General and Trial Bar)
Central District
• Southern District
United States District Court, Indiana
• Northern District
• Southern District
United States District Court, Florida
• Northern District
• Middle District
• Southern District
United States District Court, Texas
• Northern District
• Southern District
• Eastern District
• Western District
United States District Court, Michigan
• Western District
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United States District Court, Wisconsin
• Eastern District
• Western District
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United States District Court, Arkansas
• Eastern District
• Western District
HONORS & AWARDS
Pro Bono Honor Roll, United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (2016)
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT AND APPEARANCES
Maximizing the Maze: A Guide to Social Security and Elder Law. (AFELA: UnProgram, December 2025)
Speaking In Spoons: A chronically ill podcast, episode "Disability Appeals : Three Appeals Case Studies" (August, 2025)
Navigating Difficult Medical Cases in Social Security Disability Law (NADR Conference, 2025)
From Trenches to Tech: Building AI Tools for Disability presentation, Moderator (NOSSCR Conference, April 2025)
Mastering Disability Law Advocacy: A Claimant-Centered Approach (Lawline, August 2024)
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Legal Nurse Podcast: LNC's Role with the Social Security Disability Application Process (July, 2024)
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Speaking In Spoons: A chronically ill podcast, episode "Let's Talk Social Security Disability" (June, 2024)
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7th Circuit Case Law Update (Allen County Bar Association, March 2024)
Significant Cases from the Seventh Circuit: 2020 to 2023 (Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, February 2024)
NADR Podcast, Let’s Get Into It, Episode 17: Adriana de la Torre – The Hearing Nuggets (February 15, 2023)
Significant Cases from the Seventh Circuit July 2018 to August 2020 (Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, September 2020)
Significant Cases from the Seventh Circuit: July 2015 to July 2018 (Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, August 2018)
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“Wait, What Just Happened?” – Tips and Tricks for When Things Take a Turn for the Worse (NOSSCR Conference, November 2016)
Anatomy of a Hearing (Chicago Bar Association’s Seventh Circuit Social Security Disability Law Conference, September 2016)
Setting Up Your Client for The Win: Commonly Overlooked Techniques for Obtaining Favorable Evidence (NOSSCR Conference, October 2015)
Moot Court Competition Judge, Indiana University Maurer School of Law – Bloomington
Moot Court Competition Judge, Loyola University School of Law – Chicago
AUTHORED PUBLICATIONS
Circuit Court Considerations: When a Remand Is Not Enough (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, February 2026)
Circuit Court Considerations: When an Error Is Too Big (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, January 2026)
Circuit Court Considerations: A Tenth Circuit Win on Transferable Skills (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, December 2025)
Circuit Court Considerations: VE Conflicts and SSR 00-4p (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, November 2025)
Circuit Court Considerations: A Recent 9th Circuit Remand (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, October 2025)
Circuit Court Considerations: A Recent 7th Circuit Remand (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, September 2025)
Ninth Circuit’s Take on Challenging VE Job Numbers: Boonthong v. Commissioner (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, August 2025)
A Recent 9th Circuit Win on Fibromyalgia (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, July 2025)
Ninth Circuit’s SSDI Denial Reaffirmed (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, June 2025)
How Debt Affects EAJA Awards (OCBA - The Briefs Magazine, May 2025)
When is a Fee Too Much? (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, May 2025)
A Lesson in Explaining Residual Functional Capacity (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, Apr 2025)
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Think Getting a Remand Is Tough? Try Getting Paid (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, Feb 2025)
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Mastering the Art of Obtaining Medical Records (Federal Bar Association - Spring Newsletter, 2024)
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Crafting Compelling Briefs (Federal Bar Association - Spring Newsletter, 2024)
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Understanding the Complexities of SSA Regulations: Insights from Jones v. O’Malley (NOSSCR - The Social Security Forum, Aug 2024)
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Indianapolis Bar Association, Commonly Asked Questions about Indiana Law: A Guide for Pro Bono Service (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
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