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Post by valkyrie on Aug 1, 2013 11:19:18 GMT -5
Of course our jobs are horrible, we work for the federal government! There are people out there that like to say quite loudly that we should be cut down to a size that would allow us to be easily drowned in a bathtub! I really don't care about that though. For the love of God and all things holy, WE HAVE TO BUY OUR OWN COFFEE AND THE DOGGONE MACHINE THAT MAKES IT! As soon as I found out about the coffee on my first day, I knew I had "pregnant doging Rights." This is the delightful SEC Football concept that, no matter how small the slight, you have an inalienable right to complain about the grave and permanent injury doen to your team, your school, and The American Way of Life. "We totally would have won that game instead of losing 41-6 if it hadn't been for that BS holding call three minutes into the first quarter!" For me it was an easy transition from SEC fandom to working for the feds. We're lawyers and we have to use a sign-in sheet! If you initial the sign-in sheet instead of signing it, your timekeeper will have you cross out your initials, replace them with your signature, then initial that you crossed out your initials! We use a reimbursement form that still includes telegraph service! I could go on.
As ALJs, we do have people at Regional who's only job seems to be keeping close track of the age of every single one of our cases, and then, without doing even a minimal investigation of their own to see if there is an obviosu and valid reason as to why the case seems to be lagging, they send a nastygram to our office management team. You can be on pace for 500 well-reasoned legally defensible decisions, and this will still happen if case #397 of those 500 happens to be a little slow. What happens from there is on an office-by-office basis. We obviosuly have heard horror stories of nasty managers treating us rudely and making threats while asking us to justify our negligence. In other offices, the managers look into the case themselves, find the obvious reason, and respond to Regional without even bothering the ALJ. I think most offices are pretty reasonable, like the latter. You also have to remember that maangement/Regional does not have much in the way of teeth to back-up their kvetching/threats until you REALLY fall behind. Some of us just get a little tired or sensitive about these things, but in essence you are only really dealing with the kids in the back of the car moaning, "are we there yet?" And thats my rant for the day...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2013 11:56:21 GMT -5
it's negative, but it's also reality, and therefore nice to know. thanks for the insights, Valkyrie. If I have a chance to go, I'd rather go in with eyes wide open.
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Post by lurker/dibs on Aug 1, 2013 12:01:40 GMT -5
I guess if I get the job the first thing I need to pack is my keurig machine! I didn't know it was quite that bad. And I must say that signing in is quite ridiculous. We are all lawyers of at least 7 years and are responsible enough to decide whether someone gets benefits or not, yet not responsible enough to be honest with our time. So strange!
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Post by lurker/dibs on Aug 1, 2013 12:25:14 GMT -5
Aside from legal services, I have always been in private practice. I only do bilking on criminal appointed cases or in the even of a fee petition. All other cases are contingency fee cases so I don't have to keep up with my time. Plus my case management software helps me keep up with billable time. I haven't had to clock in since I waited tables in college.
I would think that so long as someone is performing his or her job at or above expectations, then there should be a bit of flexibility. For example, one of my paralegals, literally, does the job of 3 people. She works 7 days a week to keep up. I've offered to hire her some help but she insists she likes the work and the overtime pay. Because she's a work horse I have no problem with her leaving early to attend a child's ball game or with her taking off a Friday to take the children to the beach. She's rewarded with that flexibility because she does her job and does it well. I guess this philosophy goes back to the "bad apple" ALJs that spoil it all for the bunch.
I was teasing about the coffee. Although one would think there would be coffee for all employees in the break room at almost all jobs, especially government workplaces.
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Post by hopefalj on Aug 1, 2013 12:29:22 GMT -5
it's negative, but it's also reality, and therefore nice to know. thanks for the insights, Valkyrie. If I have a chance to go, I'd rather go in with eyes wide open. I agree that it's nice to have the information, but the negativity is over-represented on this board. The majority of judges have no problem doing their job well and still pumping out 500+ decisions. The anecdotal stories of judges being tied to the rack or waterboarded, while most likely true, are also rare. I would think it odd if I saw so many insiders applying for a job whose current occupants were miserable and constantly in a state of frustration. The judges in my office are largely happy, enjoy what they do, and recommend the position.
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Post by 71stretch on Aug 1, 2013 12:43:37 GMT -5
. Although one would think there would be coffee for all employees in the break room at almost all jobs, especially government workplaces. I've never had to clock in at any of the three government legal jobs I've had in the last 30 years. Coffee provided at taxpayer expense? Really? No. Not in any government job I worked in. We either chipped in on the brewer and the coffee for a coffee service, or chipped in and bought our own pot and chipped in for the coffee, etc.
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Post by moopigsdad on Aug 1, 2013 12:58:49 GMT -5
Aside from legal services, I have always been in private practice. I only do bilking on criminal appointed cases or in the even of a fee petition. Great attorney typo, or greatest attorney typo? It's funny I noticed that about lurker's post, too as soon as I read it. I worked for some legal offices in the past that certainly weren't beyond doing just that, "bilking" their clientele. In lurker's case I know it was just a typo with fingers getting messed up on the keyboard and not a true Freudian slip.
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Post by moopigsdad on Aug 1, 2013 13:01:27 GMT -5
Of course our jobs are horrible, we work for the federal government! There are people out there that like to say quite loudly that we should be cut down to a size that would allow us to be easily drowned in a bathtub! I really don't care about that though. For the love of God and all things holy, WE HAVE TO BUY OUR OWN COFFEE AND THE DOGGONE MACHINE THAT MAKES IT! As soon as I found out about the coffee on my first day, I knew I had "pregnant doging Rights." This is the delightful SEC Football concept that, no matter how small the slight, you have an inalienable right to complain about the grave and permanent injury doen to your team, your school, and The American Way of Life. "We totally would have won that game instead of losing 41-6 if it hadn't been for that BS holding call three minutes into the first quarter!" For me it was an easy transition from SEC fandom to working for the feds. We're lawyers and we have to use a sign-in sheet! If you initial the sign-in sheet instead of signing it, your timekeeper will have you cross out your initials, replace them with your signature, then initial that you crossed out your initials! We use a reimbursement form that still includes telegraph service! I could go on. As ALJs, we do have people at Regional who's only job seems to be keeping close track of the age of every single one of our cases, and then, without doing even a minimal investigation of their own to see if there is an obviosu and valid reason as to why the case seems to be lagging, they send a nastygram to our office management team. You can be on pace for 500 well-reasoned legally defensible decisions, and this will still happen if case #397 of those 500 happens to be a little slow. What happens from there is on an office-by-office basis. We obviosuly have heard horror stories of nasty managers treating us rudely and making threats while asking us to justify our negligence. In other offices, the managers look into the case themselves, find the obvious reason, and respond to Regional without even bothering the ALJ. I think most offices are pretty reasonable, like the latter. You also have to remember that maangement/Regional does not have much in the way of teeth to back-up their kvetching/threats until you REALLY fall behind. Some of us just get a little tired or sensitive about these things, but in essence you are only really dealing with the kids in the back of the car moaning, "are we there yet?" And thats my rant for the day... I don't disagree val, I just think some let it get the best of them more than others. So, how much is the chip-in for coffee each month? LOL! I may have to start saving my pennies if I get lucky enough to acquire an ALJ position.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2013 13:16:00 GMT -5
"I've heard a lot on this board about the varying personalities and styles of ALJs at SSA, but not so much on the varying talent. Are there exceptionally talented ALJs that can do the job exceptionally well (because they are fast readers, digest complex medial information quickly, skilled examiners, use excellent judgment, etc.). And if such exceptional judges exist, what ability does that exceptionality have to open doors of opportunity (either for transfers, promotions, bonuses, perks, escaping the negativities of the job, etc.)?"
Well, I imagine the ALJ is probably like any group of lawyers. There are some that are clearly interested in their work and trying to learn and know their stuff when it comes to administrative law. And, then, there are clearly a few who are half asleep and look at their position as semi-retirement.
However, to address your question (sorry..negativity ahead!), being good at your job, and respected for your knowledge of administrative law, or pushing lots of timely and sufficient cases, will not count one whit. It will not affect your place on the transfer list, there are no bonuses, awards, or incentives, or perks. The only promotion potential is from ALJ to HOCALJ, and I cannot speak to what criteria management uses for filling those positions when they come open.
If I could list one talent that I think makes some more suited to high-volume SSA administrative law practice, it would probably be the ability to quickly scan medical records and separate the "information" from the "data". Any medical record has a ton of data, but only a few pertinent points that move the disability football. If you are a person who gets bogged down in the details, you may have more trouble adjusting.
I, too, had to adapt to the whole signing in and out thing. From private practice it is quite a change, and occasionally you will get to feeling nickel and dimed in fifteen minute increments. But, be warned, they take it very VERY seriously. If there is one thing that can get an ALJ into disciplinary problems, it is playing fast and loose with the time sheet. It's just a part of government employment that you have to adapt to.
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Post by deltajudge on Aug 1, 2013 13:35:05 GMT -5
8-)Negativity is the byword of OHA/ODAR. I have been almost 8 years retired from OHA. The last few years were almost intolerable I came off the street, was professional and I knew what I had to do get the cases out. Of course I had no staff to supervise or prod. Even though I let the lap dog HOCALJs know I would do everything in my power, to schedule hearings promptly, hear them and get the decision out as fast as I could, I was always pestered about old cases I knew nothing about, because when I put them into development or unwr, they were beyond my jurisdiction. Cases routinely fell through the cracks due to useless staff that should have been herding carts at Walmart.
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Post by trekker on Aug 1, 2013 14:02:03 GMT -5
I have never been a coffee drinker so it always pissed me off that offices would provide free coffee to staff but never tea. Now we are even. They don't supply free coffee or tea.
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Post by valkyrie on Aug 1, 2013 14:15:23 GMT -5
I have never been a coffee drinker so it always pissed me off that offices would provide free coffee to staff but never tea. Now we are even. They don't supply free coffee or tea. Mercy! How do you expect us to trust you if you don't drink coffee?
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Post by southeastalj on Aug 1, 2013 14:43:54 GMT -5
I'd also point out there are probably 10 sitting SSA ALJs who are truly active on this board and even that number might be on the high side. Even my relatively poor math skills tell me that's about 0.5% of the current ALJ corps. Anyone who takes any of our postings/advice as gospel as to what the job entails (either good or bad) is probably doing themselves a great disservice.
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Post by lurker/dibs on Aug 1, 2013 14:49:31 GMT -5
Aside from legal services, I have always been in private practice. I only do bilking on criminal appointed cases or in the even of a fee petition. Great attorney typo, or greatest attorney typo? That's what happens when I type on my phone, while in court! Oops.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2013 14:56:55 GMT -5
I'd also point out there are probably 10 sitting SSA ALJs who are truly active on this board and even that number might be on the high side. Even my relatively poor math skills tell me that's about 0.5% of the current ALJ corps. Anyone who takes any of our postings/advice as gospel as to what the job entails (either good or bad) is probably doing themselves a great disservice. I am mindful of your admonition. Even as I posited comments about the union lawsuit, I took a step back and thought "if these very able ALJs thought this was the right approach, there had to be very good reasons for their having done so." Not being an ALJ, I am not privy to the inside thinking apart from the occasional gripes that I hear on this board, which also goes on at most jobs.
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Post by moopigsdad on Aug 1, 2013 15:40:35 GMT -5
I'd also point out there are probably 10 sitting SSA ALJs who are truly active on this board and even that number might be on the high side. Even my relatively poor math skills tell me that's about 0.5% of the current ALJ corps. Anyone who takes any of our postings/advice as gospel as to what the job entails (either good or bad) is probably doing themselves a great disservice. I think ALJD (the admin here) has the ability to add "custom titles" to the mini-profiles of the members. I propose that such titles be added to designate those who are "ALJ" or "Former ALJ" so that I don't have to track back through all of a member's posts to determine whether they know what they are talking about or not. (Like Shadow's custom title is "Forum Stat Expert") faq I believe some of the sitting ALJs or perhaps even the retired ALJs would just as soon not be singled out. Some are easy to figure out by their frequent posts of ALJ issues or problems, others may be ALJs, but much more quiet and avoiding recognition.
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Post by ALJD on Aug 1, 2013 16:18:25 GMT -5
I think ALJD (the admin here) has the ability to add "custom titles" to the mini-profiles of the members. I propose that such titles be added to designate those who are "ALJ" or "Former ALJ" so that I don't have to track back through all of a member's posts to determine whether they know what they are talking about or not. (Like Shadow's custom title is "Forum Stat Expert") Nope, not doing it. The only way I would be able to properly verify ALJ status is to require the members to provide me with their real names and then contact them via their official Agency e-mail to confirm their identity. I'll delete this forum before I start doing that.
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Post by 71stretch on Aug 1, 2013 16:52:02 GMT -5
I think ALJD (the admin here) has the ability to add "custom titles" to the mini-profiles of the members. I propose that such titles be added to designate those who are "ALJ" or "Former ALJ" so that I don't have to track back through all of a member's posts to determine whether they know what they are talking about or not. (Like Shadow's custom title is "Forum Stat Expert") Nope, not doing it. The only way I would be able to properly verify ALJ status is to require the members to provide me with their real names and then contact them via their official Agency e-mail to confirm their identity. I'll delete this forum before I start doing that. Amen to that!
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Post by moopigsdad on Aug 1, 2013 17:02:40 GMT -5
Of course our jobs are horrible, we work for the federal government! There are people out there that like to say quite loudly that we should be cut down to a size that would allow us to be easily drowned in a bathtub! I really don't care about that though. For the love of God and all things holy, WE HAVE TO BUY OUR OWN COFFEE AND THE DOGGONE MACHINE THAT MAKES IT! As soon as I found out about the coffee on my first day, I knew I had "pregnant doging Rights." This is the delightful SEC Football concept that, no matter how small the slight, you have an inalienable right to complain about the grave and permanent injury doen to your team, your school, and The American Way of Life. "We totally would have won that game instead of losing 41-6 if it hadn't been for that BS holding call three minutes into the first quarter!" For me it was an easy transition from SEC fandom to working for the feds. We're lawyers and we have to use a sign-in sheet! If you initial the sign-in sheet instead of signing it, your timekeeper will have you cross out your initials, replace them with your signature, then initial that you crossed out your initials! We use a reimbursement form that still includes telegraph service! I could go on. As ALJs, we do have people at Regional who's only job seems to be keeping close track of the age of every single one of our cases, and then, without doing even a minimal investigation of their own to see if there is an obviosu and valid reason as to why the case seems to be lagging, they send a nastygram to our office management team. You can be on pace for 500 well-reasoned legally defensible decisions, and this will still happen if case #397 of those 500 happens to be a little slow. What happens from there is on an office-by-office basis. We obviosuly have heard horror stories of nasty managers treating us rudely and making threats while asking us to justify our negligence. In other offices, the managers look into the case themselves, find the obvious reason, and respond to Regional without even bothering the ALJ. I think most offices are pretty reasonable, like the latter. You also have to remember that maangement/Regional does not have much in the way of teeth to back-up their kvetching/threats until you REALLY fall behind. Some of us just get a little tired or sensitive about these things, but in essence you are only really dealing with the kids in the back of the car moaning, "are we there yet?" And thats my rant for the day... Valkyrie there have only been a couple of places in my entire work history of 30 plus years that actually supplied coffee to the employees without costs. Most of the time you either brought in your own or you chipped in with others to purchase coffee, filters, etc. I think you may have been spoiled in your previous employment.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Aug 1, 2013 17:41:55 GMT -5
I guess if I get the job the first thing I need to pack is my keurig machine! I didn't know it was quite that bad. And I must say that signing in is quite ridiculous. We are all lawyers of at least 7 years and are responsible enough to decide whether someone gets benefits or not, yet not responsible enough to be honest with our time. So strange! OH, but you will not be allowed to bring it to work and put it in your office. It will have to be kept in the break room where electric devices are allowed. We routinely get those emails about no fans, no heaters, no this no that in the offices. Really. Not kidding.
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