Spelios Bacoyanis has been licensed to practice law since 2012 and has focused exclusively on Social Security Disability law since 2017. He has represented clients at every level of the Social Security process, from initial applications through federal district court litigation.

From 2020 to 2021, Spelios served as Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Social Security Law Committee. In that role, he authored and advocated for Public Act 1020183, which expanded the definition of medical providers in Illinois and ensured that individuals seeking SSDI, SSI, Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled, and Federal Veterans’ benefits could obtain their medical records in Illinois at no cost. He currently serves as Vice Chairperson of the Federal Bar Association’s Social Security Law Section, having previously served as Secretary.

Spelios frequently speaks on Social Security–related issues, delivering presentations ranging from continuing legal education programs to community discussions with organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

He earned his undergraduate degree from Purdue University and his J.D. and LL.M. from The John Marshall Law School (now the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law), where he served as treasurer of the Student Bar Association. During law school, he was a senior clinical intern at the Fair Housing Legal Clinic, working closely with individuals with disabilities on housing discrimination matters.