Jesse A Traugott brings many years of civil and criminal litigation, and claims adjudication experience to the firm. Jesse focuses his practice on general civil litigation including the areas of premises liability, premises security, commercial litigation, and commercial transportation for individuals and corporate clients, including large national retailers. Jesse has extensive experience analyzing and assessing medical records and medical-legal issues. Jesse can handle all aspects of a file from initial intake to ultimate case conclusion by settlement, dispositive motion, or trial. Jesse prides himself on maintaining excellent client contact and rapport.


Prior to joining McDonnell & Associates, Jesse spent almost 9 years with the Social Security Administration Office of Appellate Operations where he was an Appeals Officer adjudicating disability claims appeals. In that capacity, Jesse conducted comprehensive reviews of medical issues and evaluated whether Administrative Law Judges’ decisions were supported by the evidence and relevant legal authority.


Jesse also served as a Senior Trial Attorney with the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Gallup, NM, where he handled the juvenile crimes docket, as well as a variety of misdemeanor and felony cases.  Jesse prepared cases and conducted hearings, preliminary examinations, and trials as first chair.


Jesse graduated from Vermont Law and Graduate School (formerly Vermont Law School) in May of 2009. Following law school, Jesse worked in a legal aid clinic on the Navajo reservation in Window Rock, AZ on the border with New Mexico.  There he practiced many areas of civil litigation including consumer law, employment law, family law, and public benefits such as Social Security Disability.  Many cases involved complex jurisdictional issues under the principles of Federal Indian Law.  Jesse regularly appeared in New Mexico State court, Navajo tribal court, and worked on briefs for cases in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.


In his spare time, Jesse enjoys spending time with his wife and children, playing guitar, reading, and running.


Jesse successfully tried a bench trial in a consumer fraud case under an Unfair Business Practices Act.  Jesse’s client hired a traveling out-of-state contractor to pave a lengthy section of a driveway. The contractor demanded and accepted full payment up front, then failed to complete the work and left the state. Jesse was able to locate and serve the contractor and bring the case to bench trial where judgement was awarded in favor of Jesse’s client.


Jesse represented a client accused of misappropriating social security payments. Following extensive briefing on a motion to dismiss, Jesse negotiated a settlement with the Agency that saved his client thousands of dollars and decades of wage garnishment.


Jesse has successfully argued numerous preliminary examinations to bind misdemeanor and felony charges against defendants over for trial.

Lectures/Publications

  • Developed and presented extensive trainings for new analysts and appeals officers with the Social Security Administrative Appeals Council
  • Product Owner and Subject Matter Expert in a workgroup developing a new national case management system for the Social Security Administration Appeals Council.
  • Presented at a conference about the interplay between civil legal services, State and Tribal government agencies, and State and Tribal law enforcement offices.

JESSE A. TRAUGOTT

Associate

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

jtraugott@mcda-law.com

PRACTICE AREAS

Premises Liability

Commercial Litigation

Commercial Transportation

Premises Security

BAR ADMISSIONS

Pennsylvania, 2012


New Mexico, 2009


U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern Pennsylvania


U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit


U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico

EDUCATION

Vermont Law School, J.D. 2009

  • Honors in Legal Writing and Research
  • VLS National Moot Court Competition Team

 

University of California, Santa Cruz, B.A. Anthropology and Philosophy 2004

ASSOCIATIONS

Philadelphia Bar Association

AWARDS

Awarded numerous civil service Commissioner’s Citations and Recognition of Contribution Awards at the Social Security Administration