January Staff Highlight Thomas Gooden

Thomas W. Gooden joined the firm in 2009 and was admitted to the North Carolina Bar shortly thereafter. His primary focus is Social Security Disability. Thomas was born in Charlotte and graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in Business.

“I am very much a local product – born in Charlotte and grew up in Mooresville, raised by parents who also grew up in Iredell County. Other than college and law school, I’ve lived in this area my whole life. I can even see my kindergarten classroom door driving to and from the office.

I majored in business at Wake Forest University, and classes about business law interested me the most. I pursued that interest further by attending Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware. During law school, I sent letters to law firms in Mooresville, offering my services as an intern, and Mills and Levine was the only one to respond. I interned here for a summer during law school and interned again after taking the bar exam. Once the bar told me I passed, I became an associate attorney in October of 2009.

Most of my work is in Social Security Disability – filing applications and appeals, reviewing medical records, and preparing for and attending hearings. Disability claims often take a year or two to be approved, so I get to know my clients pretty well. I also handle wills, speeding tickets, and pitch in with personal injury and litigation when needed. My favorite thing about working at Levine Law Group is the people and personalities here that make every day interesting. My favorite thing about my work, specifically, is calling a client to tell them their claim was approved.

I am infamous at the office for the numerous trips I take to Walt Disney World with my wife, Margaret. We have had annual passes to Disney since 2014 and go several times a year. We likely hold the record for Disney trips taken by childless people living over 500 miles away.”

Thanks Thomas Gooden for all your hard work with Levine Law Group!