Info on training dates, etc. Call local HO.

[aljsouth]

I was told this by a union VP who spoke to someone at Falls Church. It was passed on in good faith, not as carved in stone, but does reflect the current plans of the agency.


--New judges will begin April 13, May 11 and June 22. Will begin 50 each time, split into 25 each for training. Will use the mentor training as they did in the past. Will also do complete background checks on the new judges. Training will be in Baltimore area. --

I know most of this has been posted elsewhere, but with offers to begin in less than a month it deserves another look.

BTW, when (lets be positive) you get and accept an offer, call the local HO and HOCALJ as a courtesy. The agency sometimes is good about letting a HOCALJ know and sometimes is not very good. It is a good idea to call in either case.

[jagghagg]

Wow - great information, 'South! Thank you!

Would I be in error to assume that, with three classes and three different start dates, they will also stagger the mentor training ? (If the first class starts after 2 weeks of mentor training, then the first class would head off to their office around March 28th. I am assuming that not every new hire would head off to mentor training at the same time, but rather would be going around March 28th, April 27th, and June 8th.)

[govtattorney]

thanks alj. this should quiet the rumors that ssa is not hiring the full 150 this year. if selected, does the trainee have any control over which training session she attends?

[chieftain]

I appreciate this information. ALJSouth, do you know when the new judges for the later training classes would be expected to report to their offices after receiving their offers? I would be happy to whenever asked but it seems to me that the new people in the later classes will be in their new offices for quite a while before they can be really useful.

[judicature]

When I spoke previously to SSA about this issue some weeks ago, they were anticipating staggered starts. At that time, they were projecting 2 weeks in your assigned office, followed by 4 weeks in Baltimore - that may not be the plan anymore based on what aljsouth is reporting.

I am also confused about the second split of the groups of 50 into groups of 25 . . . .

[anotheroldtimer]

They usually do training in groups of 50, but split them between two teams of trainers. They have found that more than about 25 together in a room lessens the experience.

[odarite]

Aljsouth is exactly correct, and the dates given are the dates to report to your duty station for mentoring, the training (in B'more or wherever) will begin 2 weeks later. I don't know to what extent they will let you negotiate for which of the three start groups you will be in, but in other years they have sometimes given attorneys with practices to close down the option of a later class.

[aljsouth]

chieftain said:

I appreciate this information. ALJSouth, do you know when the new judges for the later training classes would be expected to report to their offices after receiving their offers? I would be happy to whenever asked but it seems to me that the new people in the later classes will be in their new offices for quite a while before they can be really useful.

I am not certain but think the dates given in my first post reflect the dates to report to the new office for two weeks mentor training. Then 4 weeks training then immediately report to your office.

[nothingventured]

ALJ South (or others who are in the know), do you expect the offers to be made to all three groups at one time or staggered like the training classes?

[jagghagg]

nothingventured said:

ALJ South (or others who are in the know), do you expect the offers to be made to all three groups at one time or staggered like the training classes?

Now THERE'S and interesting question to drive us all nuts....

It would make sense (ah-hahahahaha!) to fill the slots which are needed most first, and that would mean that offers to those locations would also be made first. But there will be a few turn-downs (I know, I know: that's almost impossible to believe!) So there WILL be some lapses between offers being made and acceptances coming in. And if those in private practice (like cybear and privateatty) are going to get special consideration for the demands of closing a practice and be assigned to the later classes, does that mean that they would not be offered slots where their talents are needed most ? And what offices are going to be designated the most "needy" ?

Ok, this is too much for my tiny brain..... Tra-la, tra-la, I shall worry about that tomorrow....

[odarite]

nothingventured said:

ALJ South (or others who are in the know), do you expect the offers to be made to all three groups at one time or staggered like the training classes?

Now I am talking through my hat here, as I have no actual information, but I believe the offers will be made all at one time and then the candidates sorted into their respective groups (although that is likely to appear seamless to offerees, as I expect they will be told "here is your city offer, take it or leave it, and report to your city on date X").

[aljsouth]

odarite said:

nothingventured said:

ALJ South (or others who are in the know), do you expect the offers to be made to all three groups at one time or staggered like the training classes?

Now I am talking through my hat here, as I have no actual information, but I believe the offers will be made all at one time and then the candidates sorted into their respective groups (although that is likely to appear seamless to offerees, as I expect they will be told "here is your city offer, take it or leave it, and report to your city on date X").

I think Odarite is correct. The last time the classes were split between a early and late training session, the offers were made at the same time. At least that is what happened with the judges that arrived here.

I don't know if ODAR will give you any latitude about which training session to which you are assigned; if it is really important you could ask, BUT only after accepting the offer and telling them you will go to the early one if you have to do so

[jagghagg]

ellie said:

My question is about the length of the training. I've seen references to 4-5 weeks of training -- is this correct? Federal district judges and magistrates receive about a week of training. Is any of the training done via satellite for people living far away from Baltimore?

Nope!
2 weeks with a mentor.
4 weeks in lovely Baltimore - no commuting allowed. Everbody in a hotel and everybody on the bus!

[happy]

aljsouth said:

--New judges will begin April 13, May 11 and June 22. Will begin 50 each time, split into 25 each for training.

Hmmm. This doesn't comport entirely with what one of my interviewers told me. He said that the first training would begin mid-April (with the new ALJ having reported to his/her HO the two prior weeks) and that, if selected for the 3rd class, one could expect to report to one's HO in August. He did, however, say the plan was 3 classes of 50 (no reference to splitting). BTW, my interviewers indicated to not expect any offers until March, although they could possibly come a little sooner.

I guess things could have changed a bit since my interview. . . .

[Propmaster]

Will the training be in tracks for those familiar versus those unfamiliar with SSA law? With ODAR? With government service?

I guess I assume not, since there would be no reason to need to train ODAR attorneys for four weeks otherwise. Boy, I bet they'll be really bored for a lot of the practical classes.

[privateatty]

ladywordsmith said:

When I interviewed, one of the interviewers also told me that there would be 3 groups of 50 starting at different times.

But, I'm surprised about the "no commuting" statement. A currently sitting ALJ told me that if you lived near the training facility you had to commute.

LW

My interviewers told me the same thing jagghagg heard--no commuting; except maybe, if you have a private practice to shut down, on a special previously asked for and granted, leave basis.

You know what this reminds some of us of? I das't not say it...

Hey, but look at the bright side. That means we made it! ;D There'll be maybe 20-30 or so of US-kinda folks (OK, maybe less), making life-long friendships from a basis as ethereal as cyberspace...

[aaa]

I have heard in the past of new ALJs who lived in the commuting area of training and were expected to commute and thus got no lodging or M&IE. I suppose it could happen. There's a few different scenarios I would think. My gut reaction is that travel regs would prevent someone who lives in the area from being given lodging and per diem for this training.

Also, it would be my understanding that those who would travel in for the training by air travel (assuming that's the least expensive comparison wise) would not be authorized the expense of driving. For instance, if I were selected for the midwest and I decided that I didn't want to be stranded for 4 weeks in non-Inner Harbor Baltimore so I wanted to drive my car, then I could drive BUT I would get reimbursement only up to what the plane ticket would have cost, not for the mileage for the trip. SO, if the plane ticket would have been $300 round trip but I decided to drive 3000 miles round trip, my reimbursement would be $300 and no reimbursement for lodging or M&IE for my trip there or back (it would take an additional day and hotel/meals X 2). Nor will the Agency authorize a rental car while at training.

Oh, the things I can find to worry about and plan for when it will be another 30 - 60 days before I will even know if I should worry or plan!! 30 days would be great...plenty to do in the next 30 days! Seems like if it was 60 days before offers are made that would really give folks in private practice a short time to close down a practice before reporting if they are in the first class.

I've been in the classrooms in Baltimore. My recollection is that the rooms were not huge and they were plenty full with 25 people in each (across the hall from each other I think). One good thing about training at SSA HQ is that they have a couple of good on site cafeterias that are reasonably priced with a good selection, plus if you want to walk around around the complex, you could get in a good walk at lunch - heck, you can get in a good walk just walking through the inside of the complex and trying to navigate to get to the right building/place!

[jagghagg]

I guess I was thinking that for those who live in DC - the Mecca of federal attorneys - it would be nice to commute rather than live in Baltimore for 4 weeks. Alas, alack - I do believe that DC is not considered within the commuting area for Baltimore. (Even if people DO commute to DC for work from there. It's CRAZY back here!)

[jagghagg]

Didn't I hear someone ponder (weak and weary) that they (SSA) were gonna train all the "insiders" together and keep all the rest of us (if we get hired) in separate classes ? Seemed illogical to me as the corporate knowledge possessed by the insiders would benefit the rest of those not in "the know."

[southerner]

I agree with jagghagg.

It does not make sense to me to separate people into classes with SSA knowledge from those that don't. I would think SSA would want to have some attorneys with SSA knowledge of regs and procedure and rather than not mix then with others so all could benefit.

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream
only by night." E. A. Poe