Post by willis on Apr 14, 2008 1:16:21 GMT -5
To all of the new ALJs:
Welcome to SSA and congratulations upon becoming an ALJ! May your careers be long and rewarding.
I invite you to please consider joining FALJC (the Federal ALJ Conference)!
FALJC is a professional association that is the only national federal ALJ organization that is open to ALJs from all federal agencies. We are proud that our membership includes judges from every agency that employs ALJs.
SSA always has had one of the larger groups of members within FALJC. As some of our colleagues at SSA have transferred to other agencies, the number of active FALJC members with recent SSA experience also has grown. The immediate past President, Judge Michael Rosas, began at SSA with the 2001 ALJ class. The current secretary, Dan Solomon, also is an SSA alum. SSA needs to keep its voice within FALJC strong.
FALJC has a tradition of vigorous advocacy on behalf of the ALJ community, and offers a variety of educational and social activities and a dynamic website:
● FALJC long has taken the leadership on vital ALJ pay and benefits issues. We are actively working, together with the other ALJ organizations, for an end to pay compression and the establishment of an enhanced retirement system. FALJC’s excellence in representing the ALJ corps was demonstrated recently by the fine statement submitted by a FALJC member on behalf of the federal ALJ groups for the record of a recent House Federal Workforce Subcommittee hearing on federal pay policies and administration. The highlight of the hearing was when the Subcommittee’s Chairman asked the Congressional Research Service witness about ALJ pay compression. The witness replied that the FALJC member’s statement explained it better than he could, admitted that ALJ salaries were among the most compressed of federal workers, and pointed out that the top 3 or 4 levels of ALJs were all paid the same amount.
● FALJC also is quick and articulate in its opposition to challenges to the due process principles of the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”) and ALJ independence:
• Recently, we sent letters to the leadership of the Senate Finance Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Operations in opposition to the International Trade Commission’s (“ITC”) provision in the Trade Enforcement Act of 2007 that asks Congress for permission to hire non-ALJs to hold APA hearings on foreign goods patent infringement and unfair foreign trade practice cases that currently are heard by ITC’s ALJs.
• We also recently sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts urging Senate Judiciary Committee support for the Regulatory Improvement Act of 2007. This Act would authorize appropriations to fund the Administrative Conference of the United States.
● We conduct an annual educational seminar, which is during September 14-16 this year in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The seminar includes an agenda of educational topics that are accepted by many states for CLE credit. The seminar also affords our members the opportunity to meet and interact with our colleagues. You may read preliminary information about this year’s conference at 005754d.netsolhost.com/FALJC_Seminar_Registration_Form.2008.II.doc.
● We have monthly luncheon meetings in Washington, D.C., often with guest speakers on subjects of special interest to ALJs.
● Our website, www.faljc.org, includes (1) a page with news items that include updates about legislation that affects our independence, pay and benefits, and timely posts of agency announcements of ALJ vacancies, and (2) a message board, which is a posting board for the membership.
I encourage you to join our vibrant organization by filling out and mailing a membership application that you can print from 005754d.netsolhost.com/faljc9.html and a check for your dues payable to “FALJC” to The Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., PMB 260, Washington, D.C. 20006-1846. (The form has not yet been update to 2008-2009, but all new memberships at this point are being attributed to 2008-2009.)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (Robin J. Arzt) at bubobuboATatt.net, or our membership chairman, Judge Bruce Rosenstein, at bruce.rosensteinATnlrb.gov. Many thanks for your time and consideration!
Welcome to SSA and congratulations upon becoming an ALJ! May your careers be long and rewarding.
I invite you to please consider joining FALJC (the Federal ALJ Conference)!
FALJC is a professional association that is the only national federal ALJ organization that is open to ALJs from all federal agencies. We are proud that our membership includes judges from every agency that employs ALJs.
SSA always has had one of the larger groups of members within FALJC. As some of our colleagues at SSA have transferred to other agencies, the number of active FALJC members with recent SSA experience also has grown. The immediate past President, Judge Michael Rosas, began at SSA with the 2001 ALJ class. The current secretary, Dan Solomon, also is an SSA alum. SSA needs to keep its voice within FALJC strong.
FALJC has a tradition of vigorous advocacy on behalf of the ALJ community, and offers a variety of educational and social activities and a dynamic website:
● FALJC long has taken the leadership on vital ALJ pay and benefits issues. We are actively working, together with the other ALJ organizations, for an end to pay compression and the establishment of an enhanced retirement system. FALJC’s excellence in representing the ALJ corps was demonstrated recently by the fine statement submitted by a FALJC member on behalf of the federal ALJ groups for the record of a recent House Federal Workforce Subcommittee hearing on federal pay policies and administration. The highlight of the hearing was when the Subcommittee’s Chairman asked the Congressional Research Service witness about ALJ pay compression. The witness replied that the FALJC member’s statement explained it better than he could, admitted that ALJ salaries were among the most compressed of federal workers, and pointed out that the top 3 or 4 levels of ALJs were all paid the same amount.
● FALJC also is quick and articulate in its opposition to challenges to the due process principles of the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”) and ALJ independence:
• Recently, we sent letters to the leadership of the Senate Finance Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Operations in opposition to the International Trade Commission’s (“ITC”) provision in the Trade Enforcement Act of 2007 that asks Congress for permission to hire non-ALJs to hold APA hearings on foreign goods patent infringement and unfair foreign trade practice cases that currently are heard by ITC’s ALJs.
• We also recently sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts urging Senate Judiciary Committee support for the Regulatory Improvement Act of 2007. This Act would authorize appropriations to fund the Administrative Conference of the United States.
● We conduct an annual educational seminar, which is during September 14-16 this year in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The seminar includes an agenda of educational topics that are accepted by many states for CLE credit. The seminar also affords our members the opportunity to meet and interact with our colleagues. You may read preliminary information about this year’s conference at 005754d.netsolhost.com/FALJC_Seminar_Registration_Form.2008.II.doc.
● We have monthly luncheon meetings in Washington, D.C., often with guest speakers on subjects of special interest to ALJs.
● Our website, www.faljc.org, includes (1) a page with news items that include updates about legislation that affects our independence, pay and benefits, and timely posts of agency announcements of ALJ vacancies, and (2) a message board, which is a posting board for the membership.
I encourage you to join our vibrant organization by filling out and mailing a membership application that you can print from 005754d.netsolhost.com/faljc9.html and a check for your dues payable to “FALJC” to The Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., PMB 260, Washington, D.C. 20006-1846. (The form has not yet been update to 2008-2009, but all new memberships at this point are being attributed to 2008-2009.)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (Robin J. Arzt) at bubobuboATatt.net, or our membership chairman, Judge Bruce Rosenstein, at bruce.rosensteinATnlrb.gov. Many thanks for your time and consideration!
