Anticipated SSA Schedule

[judicature]

In my conversation with the SSA representative I learned the following:

1) SSA will make interview scheduling calls in December asap after they have sorted through the confirmation FEAI faxes apparently now due 12/12;

2) SSA expects offers to be made in February upon completion of the interviews; and

3) Phase I of training (first report date - 2 weeks orientation with ALJ mentor at the new office) will commence early April with a group of approx 50, 50 more will commence Phase I mid April, and the third group of 50 will commence Phase I in early May, with Phase II - training in Baltimore (of uncertain length at this point) to commence in staggered classes thereafter.

It is amazing what you can learn if you ask! ;D

[chris]

Awesome info !

Thanks for asking !

[aljsouth]

I hope you get that kind of notice. Wow a whole month for the first 50 and even more for the next two waves.

Good luck to all.

[johnthornton]

In 2005, we had two classes. One in April and one in June. We were told that SSA made a conscious decision to place the Government attorneys in the April class so that the private practice lawyers could have more time to wind down their practices. Not sure if it worked out 100% but I was in the April class and I had been a Government lawyer.

[Pixie]

It will be much easier on everyone with three classes of fifty each. Thank goodness they listened to the voices of reason who remembered the 2001 mess and discarded the idea of two classes. Pix.

[govtattorney]

they are giving offers so quickly after the interviews are completed. what does that say about the importance of the interview?

[jagghagg]

....that they are "merely" the final wipe-down ?

[3orangewhips]

govtattorney said:

they are giving offers so quickly after the interviews are completed. what does that say about the importance of the interview?

I've never gotten the idea that the SSA interview was that important. It matters, but it's more of a way to rule people out. right now, I'd bet SSA is reviewing the list to find a way to get the agency people they want.

[jennifer]

Two hours of not-that-important? Gack!

[aaa]

It is my impression that the SSA interview this time has been extended and will indeed be important.

[oldtimer]

I'm not sure from where you've derived your "impression," but my impression is that, at least in the past, 3Orange is correct (on both counts). ODAR wants to hire people they're familiar with, who they can be confident will need the shortest possible learning curve in order to become fully productive (i.e., numbers, numbers, numbers). If you're currently an ODAR attorney who's on the cert, the job is yours to lose; if you're not an ODAR attorney, emphasize your comfort with and ability to manage a large docket of cases, your creativity, work ethic, etc.

[youngster]

Oldtimer, does what you say about ODAR attorneys also apply to OGC attorneys?

[oldtimer]

Just my opinion, Youngster, but I think "yes," albeit to a lesser extent than to those actually working in the hearing offices and actually drafting decisions (especially if they've also served as senior attorneys/attorney-adjudicators and are also making decisions).

Powerties, I didn't have anything specific in mind, but what you and the others have to understand is that you won't be a "real" judge in many senses, i.e., the agency regards you as a highly-paid employee, but nonetheless just an employee. In many offices, judges are still scorned by some employees for wearing robes (which has only become commonplace in the past decade, so some of your older colleagues still may not wear them).

But responding more to your question, as an ALJ you may ultimately find (and should anticipate for the interview) that you have amazingly little control over your work and the work processes employed. The agency's focus has always been (and under the current Commissioner is even more so these days) on numbers; therefore, much depends on the agency's ability to make everything uniform and standard. Therefore, you won't be allowed to employ any "language preferences" in your decisions, or at the least you'll be strongly encouraged to accept the standard language and format from all those who draft decisions for you. You'll also be limited in the amount of "polishing" you can do. If you decide that you want a medical expert at the hearing but your office doesn't have such a specialist on its roster, you may be encouraged to have an expert on another office's roster testify by telephone. Even if such issues aren't directly addressed with you, there will be subtle pressures to go along, because within a few months of starting, you'll have a "goal" in terms of decisions issued, so if you don't want to have to worry about being contacted by the Regional Chief ALJ and asked to explain why you failed to meet your goal for the past month, you'll probably agree that it's okay if the writers don't cite caselaw that you think is relevant, etc.

But, again, I digress. What I initially meant when I alluded to "creativity" is that you may not, for example, have staff to perform your work, either not enough assigned to you or those assigned can't do your work to your satisfaction. Although the temptation is to say, "I'm only one person, and I'll do the best I can, but there's only so much that one judge can be expected to do," the ideal ODAR interview response, in my opinion, is "can do." That is, if the writers can't draft enough decisions for me, I can draft decisions! If I have to travel to a remote hearing site, I can transport the files and recording equipment myself! Basically, you are so self-sufficient that there's no problem you can't resolve.

Maybe my cynicism is causing me to be overly negative; in any event, good luck with the interview, and hope to welcome you soon.

[morgullord]

I agree with what oldtimer has to say. Based upon my position as a senior attorney, I think that SSA will want to know that you will do what it takes to hear every case scheduled. In virtually every monthly meeting I have attended, whether in my current capacity or in my former capacity as the acting supervisory staff attorney for my region, great emphasis has always been placed on the "heard to scheduled" ratio. They want you to hear every case scheduled if you can. A high postponement rate will make you no friends in SSA.

When I was in the Third Army SJA Office we used to say, "We have done so much with so little for so long we can now do everything with nothing." Oldtimer is absolutely correct--tell them that no obstacle is too great for you.

Your default should be (1) hold the hearing and take testimony from those available (2) after the hearing review what you have and determine what you need and (3) obtain additional medical evidence or interrogatory responses from an expert. Naturally, there are exceptions to the foregoing but they are for the most part obvious ones, such as the no-show claimant, etc.

[3orangewhips]

oldtimer said:

I'm not sure from where you've derived your "impression," but my impression is that, at least in the past, 3Orange is correct (on both counts). ODAR wants to hire people they're familiar with, who they can be confident will need the shortest possible learning curve in order to become fully productive (i.e., numbers, numbers, numbers). If you're currently an ODAR attorney who's on the cert, the job is yours to lose; if you're not an ODAR attorney, emphasize your comfort with and ability to manage a large docket of cases, your creativity, work ethic, etc.

yep, all I do is keep offering up correct information (based on past experience).

The interview process may change this time, but in the past it hasn't amounted to much.

[3orangewhips]

youngster said:

Oldtimer, does what you say about ODAR attorneys also apply to OGC attorneys?

remember former OGC general counsel DeSoto now runs ODAR. The people at the top know what you do at OGC.

[conanthebarbarian]

oldtimer: Thank you for your excellent insights. CTB

[oldtimer]

Actually, it's "Would it be a problem if I asked my staff to start scheduling hearings for me, even though I haven't actually reviewed the cases yet?" ;D

[Litigator]

If one of the SSA insiders has access to the (employees') bi-weekly pay periods schedule within SSA for calendar year 2008, perhaps they will look at April and May 2008 for us.

Most federal government agencies prefer that employees officially enter on duty (EOD) on the first day of a bi-weekly pay period. So if we learn which two respective Sundays in April 2008 are the first days of their bi-weekly pay periods, we can discern the (Monday) dates SSA will likely have its various April "waves" of 50 report to their work sites to commence Phase I.

The same holds true for May. If an insider can tell us which Sundays in May 2008 are the first days of their respectively bi-weekly pay periods, then we can likely discern the particular (Monday) date that SSA will have the May "wave" of 50 report to their work sites to commence Phase I.

[deadwood]

morgullord said:

Oldtimer is absolutely correct--tell them that no obstacle is too great for you.

Your default should be (1) hold the hearing and take testimony from those available (2) after the hearing review what you have and determine what you need and (3) obtain additional medical evidence or interrogatory responses from an expert. Naturally, there are exceptions to the foregoing but they are for the most part obvious ones, such as the no-show claimant, etc.

Absolutely spot-on great advice!