A spotlight on a professional team member who works for you at Nash Disability Law
You only need to spend a short time with Nash law firm Case Manager Natalie De La Torre to understand why she is so good at her job.
Her compassion for others runs deep.
“The best thing about working with the firm’s clients is being able to make a positive change in their livelihood,” she says. “It is truly rewarding when we have helped someone who has been struggling for years finally get the disability benefits they have earned and deserve.”
“My responsibilities for the firm are to facilitate correspondence with clients and the Social Security Administration while managing medical evidence for their disability claims,” Natalie explains. “My goal is to make sure clients understand the importance of staying in consistent treatment, especially with specialists, and getting the right medical explanation to assist with their case.”
Natalie is determined to make a difference and advance social justice in America.
“To look away from injustices is a privilege,” she notes. “It’s important to remember to put yourself in others’ shoes in order to learn about the world you live in.”
It is no surprise, then, that she keeps this quote from author James Baldwin close to her heart: “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”
“I am passionate about wrongful conviction and incarceration, and I aspire to be a civil rights attorney one day,” she states. “Fixing the plea bargaining process is an essential criminal justice reform.”
Additionally, Natalie points out that, “access to mental health treatment is one of the biggest issues this country is facing, especially in Black and Brown communities. I respect and look up to the work of Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health, which is a Chicago-based charity that provides free mental health services in their café. Their mission is to highlight the importance of mental health and provide services by removing the financial, systemic, and emotional barriers that prevent healing.”
When she is not in the office, you will likely find Natalie biking along Lake Michigan or camping in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. A self-described “huge dog lover,” Natalie has a four-year-old coonhound named Lucy. She is also a music lover and collects vinyl records. “I love jazz and enjoy seeing it live,” she says enthusiastically. “Green Mill is a hidden gem in Chicago!”