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Post by moopigsdad on Apr 1, 2014 6:40:26 GMT -5
Mt Pleasant will likely get 3, possibly 5. Huntington W Va will get 1 or 2. Forget Florida, California, San Antonio, Kansas City, Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, Charleston SC, Savannah, Atlanta, Lawrence Mass, Long Island, NYC, Boston, Detroit, Tulsa, .... Think Toledo, Mt Pleasant, West Virginia, Indiana, ... Plan on staying in one place 18 to 24 months. The decisions are based on where the most work is -- not just vacancies. Although, there are a large amount of openings in Mt. Pleasant, I still don't think this hire will bring in more than 2 or 3 maximum new ALJs. Also, several transfers have occurred to Detroit recently and it is likely off the list.
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Post by hopefalj on Apr 1, 2014 7:36:21 GMT -5
Mt Pleasant will likely get 3, possibly 5. Huntington W Va will get 1 or 2. Forget Florida, California, San Antonio, Kansas City, Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, Charleston SC, Savannah, Atlanta, Lawrence Mass, Long Island, NYC, Boston, Detroit, Tulsa, .... Think Toledo, Mt Pleasant, West Virginia, Indiana, ... Plan on staying in one place 18 to 24 months. The decisions are based on where the most work is -- not just vacancies. Although, there are a large amount of openings in Mt. Pleasant, I still don't think this hire will bring in more than 2 or 3 maximum new ALJs. Also, several transfers have occurred to Detroit recently and it is likely off the list. We'll see on Mount Pleasant. I believe the Cleveland office actually got 5 new hires off a cert in the past. If there are five open offices there and/or hiring five in that office better enables SSA to reach desirables, they might just do it.
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Post by funkyodar on Apr 1, 2014 7:49:26 GMT -5
Yeah, my list is wilder in some guesses than others. I formulated it by first thinking of places where I know their are vacancies. Then I added some guesses based on certs past. Then some guesses based purely on the "crappier the place, the more likely its on the cert" theory. Finally, to get a nice round number I threw in a few that most likely won't have openings but would give a shout out or get a smile from a few folks. Jl, in my personal experience and based on the reports of others in the know, I don't think "where the work is" is as big a factor as you propose. With video hearings and NHCs, they have no problem shifting an office's overload to other judges located elsewhere. Instead, the largest factor seems to be whether an office has an empty office designated as an alj office. Management routinely has to send in an available space report that lists how many offices in their building are empty and whether it's an alj office, attorney office or whatnot. From the hiring I saw in 2010, 2011 and 2012, the new judges my office got were primarily assigned there because we hadopen space. In none of those instances were we overloaded. Staffing also didn't seem to matter. There is supposed to be 2 judges and 3 (I think) case tech support staff per judge (not assigned per judge, but an office staffing calculations are done along those lines). But, if they assign a new judge and there aren't enough staff, they hire more. If an office is overstaffed they don't seem bothered, instead they ship some understaffed office's writing and workup to an overstaffed office periodically to level the workloads. We have been overstaffed with attorneys for a while and each month our writers do about a quarter of their work for other offices, in other regions usually. With NHCs, writing units, NCACs and video hearings, I don't think ssa sees the workload as office by office or even regional anymore. They just see a huge national workload and figure any added alj will do a percentage of that no matter where they slot him or her. So, all they care about really is where they can put a new hire so that he or she has an appropriate office and hearing room access to get that percentage of the whole done.
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Post by bartleby on Apr 1, 2014 7:53:46 GMT -5
I think Cleveland picked up 5 in 2010, but they are near full now. Toledo picked up 5 in 2011 and they and Mt. Pleasant are the hot spots for newbies this time around. It is a really good thing to go to an office with 3 or 4 other new Judges. A lot of comaraderie and sharing. Walk into an office as the only new Judge and you usually feel like an outsider for a while. Especially if you have been an outsider. The offices are way too busy to have the time to wine and dine and share fuzzies with new Judges. You will have a mentor, but make sure it isn't the HOCALJ. If you get in trouble, who you going to turn to for advice? Not the HOCALJ, I can guarantee that.
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Post by bartleby on Apr 1, 2014 7:56:23 GMT -5
Funky my Friend, your dreams are showing again, " There is supposed to be 2 judges and 3 (I think) case tech support staff per judge (not assigned per judge, but an office staffing calculations are done along those lines)."
Probably should be 2 writers or attorney-advisers per Judge??
He-he..
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Post by funkyodar on Apr 1, 2014 8:04:32 GMT -5
As to the transfer advice: "plan to stay in one place 18 to 24 months." I think that's a good general rule of thumb. One should likely think long and hard about taking a position in a place they aren't willing to stay in at least 2 years. With transfers only happening en mass when there is new hiring and hiring not being as frequent as in years past, the 2 year general rule is probably apropro.
But, it also matters where you want to go. If the place you want is popular, 2 years may be a minimum. If you want a place that noone or few others do, well you may be out pretty quickly.
Keep in mind, there are rumored plans of another large hire in fiscal 2015. It would likely occur next spring. So, if you luck up and land a job on this first cert, your 90 day waiting period will be up and you can be on the list in time for them working it for that hire. Just depends on where you want to go. You will be last on the list for every place, but if there is no one ahead of you or if those that do turn down the transfer, you will be golden.
As an example, I know of at least one judge in another office that was part of the most recent hire. Finished training in november (IIRC) and has already been offered a transfer.
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Post by funkyodar on Apr 1, 2014 8:06:30 GMT -5
Funky my Friend, your dreams are showing again, " There is supposed to be 2 judges and 3 (I think) case tech support staff per judge (not assigned per judge, but an office staffing calculations are done along those lines)." Probably should be 2 writers or attorney-advisers per Judge?? He-he.. Yep, sorry for my dyslexic cart/horse placement. 2 attorney advisers and 3 case techs per judge. Thanks bart.
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Post by Gaidin on Apr 1, 2014 8:45:49 GMT -5
I think Cleveland picked up 5 in 2010, but they are near full now. Toledo picked up 5 in 2011 and they and Mt. Pleasant are the hot spots for newbies this time around. It is a really good thing to go to an office with 3 or 4 other new Judges. A lot of comaraderie and sharing. Walk into an office as the only new Judge and you usually feel like an outsider for a while. Especially if you have been an outsider. The offices are way too busy to have the time to wine and dine and share fuzzies with new Judges. You will have a mentor, but make sure it isn't the HOCALJ. If you get in trouble, who you going to turn to for advice? Not the HOCALJ, I can guarantee that. Bartelby I want to thank you for making me chuckle. All I could think about was getting fuzzies from you. While I think you might be a fine mentor I can't imagine there being any fuzzies.
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Post by berk727 on Apr 1, 2014 9:08:19 GMT -5
yep, due to transfers, Mt. Pleasant has 7 openings (again). I imagine several judges will be placed there. Only three judges want to stay and there is room for 12, so lots of turnover all the time. since some of us would love to be placed in Mt. Pleasant, that's okay. ;-)
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Post by sealaw90 on Apr 1, 2014 9:09:37 GMT -5
I think Cleveland picked up 5 in 2010, but they are near full now. Toledo picked up 5 in 2011 and they and Mt. Pleasant are the hot spots for newbies this time around. It is a really good thing to go to an office with 3 or 4 other new Judges. A lot of comaraderie and sharing. Walk into an office as the only new Judge and you usually feel like an outsider for a while. Especially if you have been an outsider. The offices are way too busy to have the time to wine and dine and share fuzzies with new Judges. You will have a mentor, but make sure it isn't the HOCALJ. If you get in trouble, who you going to turn to for advice? Not the HOCALJ, I can guarantee that. Bartelby I want to thank you for making me chuckle. All I could think about was getting fuzzies from you. While I think you might be a fine mentor I can't imagine there being any fuzzies. Bartleby has kitties therefore he has lots of fuzz to share.
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Post by moopigsdad on Apr 1, 2014 9:29:19 GMT -5
yep, due to transfers, Mt. Pleasant has 7 openings (again). I imagine several judges will be placed there. Only three judges want to stay and there is room for 12, so lots of turnover all the time. since some of us would love to be placed in Mt. Pleasant, that's okay. ;-) With SSA it's likely you might be assigned to Fargo, ND or McAlester, OK (corrected) as an ALJ and someone from North Dakota or Oklahoma (corrected) may acquire a Mt. Pleasant gig as an ALJ.
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Post by bartleby on Apr 1, 2014 9:30:20 GMT -5
Seven (7) kitties to be exact.. A veritable clowder as it were.. Gaidin, you don't know me. I share fuzzies at the drop of a hat. I just don't take having smoke blown up my rear-end and there is plenty of that going on around here. I even have my own Bartleby Admiration Society. To know me is to love me. To cross me is, let's just say, not pleasant. Stay thirsty my Friends.
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Post by hopefalj on Apr 1, 2014 10:09:20 GMT -5
yep, due to transfers, Mt. Pleasant has 7 openings (again). I imagine several judges will be placed there. Only three judges want to stay and there is room for 12, so lots of turnover all the time. since some of us would love to be placed in Mt. Pleasant, that's okay. ;-) With SSA it's likely you might be assigned to Fargo, ND or McAlester, KS as an ALJ and someone from North Dakota or Kansas may acquire a Mt. Pleasant gig as an ALJ. McAlester, KS has fewer ALJs than Augusta. Now McAlester, OK, on the other hand... Our office has judges that have held hearings in prisons in the past. I wonder if that's something that goes down in McAlester on a routine basis as it's the locale of their state penitentiary.
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Post by bartleby on Apr 1, 2014 10:26:26 GMT -5
We used to do video hearing with the prisons in Ohio. Depends on the equipment the facility has.
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Post by moopigsdad on Apr 1, 2014 10:26:27 GMT -5
With SSA it's likely you might be assigned to Fargo, ND or McAlester, KS as an ALJ and someone from North Dakota or Kansas may acquire a Mt. Pleasant gig as an ALJ. McAlester, KS has fewer ALJs than Augusta. Now McAlester, OK, on the other hand... Our office has judges that have held hearings in prisons in the past. I wonder if that's something that goes down in McAlester on a routine basis as it's the locale of their state penitentiary. My bad, I meant OK and not KS. Good catch hopefalj.
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Post by eyre44 on Apr 1, 2014 14:16:18 GMT -5
Funky's official WAG on cert cities: 50 cities R1: Lawrence Mass R2: Buffalo, South Jersey and PR (counted as 1 city for my purposes) R3: Charleston WV, Huntington WV, Johnstown PA and Seven Fields PA R4: Atlanta North, Florence AL, Greenville SC, Hattiesburg MS, Jackson MS, Paducah KY, Lexington KY, Louisville KY, Macon Ga, Memphis, Middlesboro KY, Tupelo MS, Montgomey AL And Covington GA R5: Akron, Cleveland, Dayton, Detroit, Flint, Livonia, Mt Pleasant, Peoria, Toledo, Valpraiso, Fort Wayne and Evansville R6: Alexandria LA, Houston North, Metarie, Shreveport, San Antonio, New Orleans and Tulsa R7: Creve Coeur, Springfield MO and Topeka R8: Fargo, Rapid City and Sioux Falls R9: Fresno R10: Anchorage and Tacoma Pretty sure you can take Tacoma off the list. Too few openings and too many willing (not just wishing) on transfer list.
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Post by sealaw90 on Apr 1, 2014 14:18:45 GMT -5
While it's been said before, I think it's worth repeating. When you get your GAL, think long and hard about which cities/towns/craplands you're willing to relocate to. While there may be more big hires after this class and thus movement on the transfer list, the CBA this year allowed current ALJs to identify up to 5 cities that they would like to be reassigned to. It was originally only 3 cities. The reassignment list also combined NHC folks with regular folks. As such, popular cities now have even longer list of names. so GG, is the list for such Region 3 gems as Richmond now have 5 folks for transfer in as oppossed to last year's 2? Is Dover now a double digit transfer-in list? I assume that Huntington stil has 0 transfer-in requests...hence it's "popularity" for newbies.
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Post by mcb on Apr 1, 2014 15:21:44 GMT -5
Funky's official WAG on cert cities: R10: Tacoma All 10 ALJ positions are currently filled. An ALJ is retiring at the end of June, but 8 current ALJs are already on the transfer list for Tacoma. EDIT: didnt see eyre44's post above. eyre44 is correct. RE R10: Currently, there is no one waiting to transfer to Anchorage, but there are 2 for Eugene, 3 for Spokane, 7 for Portland, 8, as previously mentioned, for Tacoma and 12 for Seattle. Right now Seattle is short one ALJ, as is Spokane, but Seattle, for sure, and Spokane, most likely, will be filled by ALJs currently on the the transfer list when, or if, the positions get filled.
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Post by funkyodar on Apr 1, 2014 15:41:17 GMT -5
Relax bro. I explained I put some cities on there just to serve as a shout out to some friends. Its all just a wag.
In truth, I looked at region 9 and 10 and thought about not putting any cities on my guess list but figured I'd throw some support to those hoping for cities in the region. Figured tacoma was the crappiest of the options...not crappy, but crappier than seattle.
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Post by mcb on Apr 1, 2014 15:46:46 GMT -5
Relax bro. I explained I put some cities on there just to serve as a shout out to some friends. Its all just a wag. In truth, I looked at region 9 and 10 and thought about not putting any cities on my guess list but figured I'd throw some support to those hoping for cities in the region. Figured tacoma was the crappiest of the options...not crappy, but crappier than seattle. I'm perfectly relaxed, Funkster. Just putting out info on R10.
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