Erika N. Dowd

Attorney

    Contact Information

  • Location: Greensburg
  • Office Phone: 888-534-6016
  • Fax: 724-837-1348
  • Email: end@qrlegal.com

Biography

Erika N. Dowd represents injured and disabled individuals in Social Security Disability and Veterans’ Disability Compensation claims. She is skilled in guiding clients through the sometimes bewildering process of applying for and appealing claims for benefits. She takes a special interest in assisting veterans and their families and has developed relationships with various Veteran organizations throughout Western PA, working to connect her clients with resources needed to rebuild their lives.

She received a B.A. from Duquesne University, majoring in Journalism and Multimedia, and received her law degree from Duquesne University School of Law, graduating cum laude, with a concentration in healthcare law.

Erika is a member of the Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, and Pennsylvania bar associations, as well as the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) and the National Organization of Veterans Advocates (NOVA). In 2024, Erika was elected Treasurer of the Allegheny County Bar’s award-winning Young Lawyer’s Division (YLD). She previously served as a YLD council member and co-chaired the group’s Communications Committee. She also co-chairs the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and the Social Security Committee programming sub-committee.

Prior to joining the firm, Erika worked for the Neighborhood Legal Services, where she also represented injured and disabled individuals in claims for Social Security and VA benefits. Prior to this, she worked for the Allegheny County Bar Association, where she acted as staff liaison to the Committee on Law and Disability, wrote and edited numerous legal publications, and helped plan and execute continuing legal education (CLE) courses. During law school, she represented a student advocacy group in Senate and Congressional advocacy meetings and researched emerging areas of the law such as the use of artificial intelligence. Committed to pro bono work, she volunteers to help veterans and first responders with estate planning, and helps low-income individuals receive Social Security Disability, Veterans Disability, and other government benefits.

A western-Pennsylvania native, Erika and her husband currently live in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, where they enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and following the Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates.

Bar Admission

  • Pennsylvania, 2021
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania

Education

  • J.D., cum laude, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University (formerly Duquesne University School of Law), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2021
  • B.A., Journalism and Multimedia, magna cum laude, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, 2018

Honors and Awards

  • Appointed Allegheny County Bar Association Military & Veterans Affairs Committee Co-Chair

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Allegheny County Bar Association
    • Military and Veterans Affairs Committee Co-Chair 2024-present
    • Social Security Practitioners Committee Programming Co-Chair 2024-present
    • Young Lawyers Division Communications Committee Co-Chair, 2023-2024
  • Westmoreland County Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • National Organization of Social Security Representatives (NOSSCR)
  • National Organization of Veterans Advocates (NOVA)