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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2016 15:11:06 GMT -5
I'll also add (in case my posts suggest otherwise) that I don't think I am a high maintenance prima donna. I can't imagine the culture shock of someone coming in from outside the government, thinking they would actually get treated as they expect a judge reasonably near the top of the federal payscale and with a lifetime appointment to be treated. This fact cannot be overemphasized enough to the newly hired ALJ's. As Bowser, Funky, Tiger, myself and many others on here have posted in the past, newbie ALJ's may expect the flowing general scenarios and forms thereof: Just grin and bear it: you will survive:
Your first day "formal" swearing in may be an impromptu as standing by the office coffee machine and with donut in one hand, raising the other to be sworn in as a new US Judge, while the office maintenance crew runs the floorbuffer in the background.
Your first office may be a windowless writers' office down some lonely hallway. Sooner or later you may get the standard 244 sq ft, window office, but prepare to wait.
You office furniture may be decent or barely minimal. Want a better chair? Learn to scrounge. You find it, nobody using it, it's yours.
Coffee? You want it, you bring it.
Water? Look around. Nobody in any government office I have ever been actually drinks the government tapwater. That is a redflag warning. Bring your own bottled water.
Lunch? If you are like me and many other ALJ's I know, lunch consists your grabbing out of the boxes of energy bars you secret in your bottom left desk drawer. Hour for lunch? Try 15 to 20 minutes on hearing days.
Need pens? Paper, office supplies? Find on your own the office supply room. You find it, nobody using it, it's yours.
How to turn on, load, use your assigned computer? Find the IT guy. If he is not teleworking then ask him "how to" use, load, etc your assigned computer. Make friends with your IT guy, he will be your lifesaver more than once in the future.
How to turn on, run, operate and use the remote video system for hearings? Find your IT guy again.
How to open, use, understand WebTA, CPMS, Ebb, eView, DART, etc? Find a congenial and longtime ALJ for this. Isn't there a manual by the government you can use? Yes and it blows.
How to input time in/out. credit hours, leave, etc? Find the longest running in place ALJ in the office and have him explain this to you. isn't there a manual? Yes and it blows.
And then the biggie......solitude. Be prepared to spend the vast majority of your time, by yourself, facing two monitors, tapping away. It will be in total silence unless you bring some music or something to your office. Be prepared, with telework now expanding to all staff, to walk into offices where only you and a couple of people may be present, all day. Be prepared to sit as a judge in your robe, facing a large video screen, in an otherwise closed windowless, empty hearing room, for 6 and more hours. I think the complete solitude is what astounds and baffles most newly hired outsiders. It can be difficult for some to get used to nothing more than silence for hours on end, days after day. Bluetooth earphones on mindlessly bobbing heads are the badge of sanity commonly seen in government offices now.
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Post by cowboy on Sept 23, 2016 16:23:49 GMT -5
I'll also add (in case my posts suggest otherwise) that I don't think I am a high maintenance prima donna. I can't imagine the culture shock of someone coming in from outside the government, thinking they would actually get treated as they expect a judge reasonably near the top of the federal payscale and with a lifetime appointment to be treated. Need pens? Paper, office supplies? Find on your own the office supply room. You find it, nobody using it, it's yours. Pens? Paper? Office supplies? What are those for? Everything, my friends, is on the computer. Last year I finally threw away all the rest of my sticky note pads and pens that I had collected. We are a paperless agency (almost), but I find those ancient tools used in a bygone era. I like to think optimistically. Now for the good news: Be prepared to be greeted by friendly and hard working federal employees. Are they all that way? No. I'm not that deluded. But I've worked in government off and on for nearly 30 years and the majority of them are. In the 5 HOs where I have conducted hearings, the majority of managers and staff have been helpful and the ALJs friendly. Especially for you No-DARs, you can ask a lot of questions. Schedule hearings the way you like it. Yes there are minimums and maximums, but you have the discretion how to run your days and weeks. There is much flexibility in this and a lot of different ways to do it. And as long as you plan ahead, you can take leave any time you want. No more, "we need you in the office now!" or "Last minute business has to be done!" Your time in and out is yours. One of our ALJs is taking off the month of October to hike across Spain. If you are a night-owl, come in late. If you are an early bird, come in early. The core hours are from 9:30 to 3:00. If you get to the office by 6:30, you can leave at 3:00. If you like to take your time in the morning, you can get here as late as 9:30 and work until 6:00. As ALJs, you can work from 5:00AM to 10:00PM, though you don't get extra hours for working earlier than 6:30 or later than 6:00. However, it won't stop you from working if you wish. After a year, you get to work part of your week at home. Avoid the commute! Work in your PJs! Again, your discretion. This is much easier than it used to be since all you do is take your laptop home. Earn credit hours so you can have extra leave when you need it or desire it. Very few other agencies and no businesses I know permit this kind of work. You can also earn credit hours on the weekend. The best part about this is that this board is just the beginning. In the 7 years I've been with this agency, I have friends all over the country I can strike up a communication with or ask for help. It's a great agency to work for. |
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Post by JudgeRatty on Sept 23, 2016 17:03:29 GMT -5
I'll also add (in case my posts suggest otherwise) that I don't think I am a high maintenance prima donna. I can't imagine the culture shock of someone coming in from outside the government, thinking they would actually get treated as they expect a judge reasonably near the top of the federal payscale and with a lifetime appointment to be treated. This fact cannot be overemphasized enough to the newly hired ALJ's. As Bowser, Funky, Tiger, myself and many others on here have posted in the past, newbie ALJ's may expect the flowing general scenarios and forms thereof: Just grin and bear it: you will survive:
Your first day "formal" swearing in may be an impromptu as standing by the office coffee machine and with donut in one hand, raising the other to be sworn in as a new US Judge, while the office maintenance crew runs the floorbuffer in the background.
Your first office may be a windowless writers' office down some lonely hallway. Sooner or later you may get the standard 244 sq ft, window office, but prepare to wait.
You office furniture may be decent or barely minimal. Want a better chair? Learn to scrounge. You find it, nobody using it, it's yours.
Coffee? You want it, you bring it.
Water? Look around. Nobody in any government office I have ever been actually drinks the government tapwater. That is a redflag warning. Bring your own bottled water.
Lunch? If you are like me and many other ALJ's I know, lunch consists your grabbing out of the boxes of energy bars you secret in your bottom left desk drawer. Hour for lunch? Try 15 to 20 minutes on hearing days.
Need pens? Paper, office supplies? Find on your own the office supply room. You find it, nobody using it, it's yours.
How to turn on, load, use your assigned computer? Find the IT guy. If he is not teleworking then ask him "how to" use, load, etc your assigned computer. Make friends with your IT guy, he will be your lifesaver more than once in the future.
How to turn on, run, operate and use the remote video system for hearings? Find your IT guy again.
How to open, use, understand WebTA, CPMS, Ebb, eView, DART, etc? Find a congenial and longtime ALJ for this. Isn't there a manual by the government you can use? Yes and it blows.
How to input time in/out. credit hours, leave, etc? Find the longest running in place ALJ in the office and have him explain this to you. isn't there a manual? Yes and it blows.
And then the biggie......solitude. Be prepared to spend the vast majority of your time, by yourself, facing two monitors, tapping away. It will be in total silence unless you bring some music or something to your office. Be prepared, with telework now expanding to all staff, to walk into offices where only you and a couple of people may be present, all day. Be prepared to sit as a judge in your robe, facing a large video screen, in an otherwise closed windowless, empty hearing room, for 6 and more hours. I think the complete solitude is what astounds and baffles most newly hired outsiders. It can be difficult for some to get used to nothing more than silence for hours on end, days after day. Bluetooth earphones on mindlessly bobbing heads are the badge of sanity commonly seen in government offices now.
Amen Papa. This is so true. Government work, public service work, short staff, never ending files, but it is GREAT work! NOT glamorous work for sure. It's demanding but just think, no calls after hours, very little travel (some offices have permanent remote sites that require some travel but not often), and after a year you can work at home practically all the days you are not in hearings. It is a coveted job for sure and those who come from trial work in private practice, prepare to have a huge change of life.... for the good. 
Congrats to all who are receiving calls! So many more to come and I cannot go without saying THIS is a GREAT time to be on the register!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2016 10:46:31 GMT -5
LOL, I have a pen on my desk, but no paper. None. Then pen is necessary as I have to hand sign the VE invoices. Which in turn is silly as we all e-sign our decisions.
I love the position the work and have great comraderie in office and online with fellow ALJs and reps. I work a ton of hours but none for free. For every hour worked over 40 then I claim same time off, when I choose. I will close out this week at or near 600 dispositions not because someone ordered me, or because I have to, but simply because I truly enjoy working.
Congrats to the newbies as you have just been appointed to one of the most desirable federal positions of the United States.
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Post by slainte on Sept 24, 2016 14:57:31 GMT -5
LOL, I have a pen on my desk, but no paper. None. Then pen is necessary as I have to hand sign the VE invoices. Which in turn is silly as we all e-sign our decisions. I love the position the work and have great comraderie in office and online with fellow ALJs and reps. I work a ton of hours but none for free. For every hour worked over 40 then I claim same time off, when I choose. I will close out this week at or near 600 dispositions not because someone ordered me, or because I have to, but simply because I truly enjoy working. Congrats to the newbies as you have just been appointed to one of the most desirable federal positions of the United States. I agree 100% with papajudge. I have only been an ALJ for three months but I love the job, my fellow ALJs (in my training class and office), the support staff, and the work. I find it very rewarding and challenging but what humbles me most are those cases (there are many) where the claimant is very sick and I can issue disability benefits. It is also an honor to listen to individual stories about illness and difficult times, whether the person qualifies or not for benefits. So congrats to those chosen and who will get the call in the coming days! |
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Post by Gaidin on Sept 24, 2016 15:23:58 GMT -5
If I don't have a pen and paper how will I draw a smiley or sad face so the writers know what kind of decision to write?
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Post by gary on Sept 24, 2016 16:02:20 GMT -5
If I don't have a pen and paper how will I draw a smiley or sad face so the writers know what kind of decision to write? Add them with your smart phone. 😀😒 Or go old school on them with colons and parentheses from your manual typewriter. |
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Post by slainte on Sept 24, 2016 16:02:22 GMT -5
If I don't have a pen and paper how will I draw a smiley or sad face so the writers know what kind of decision to write? That's old school, my friends. We are new school |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2016 8:01:46 GMT -5
One additional quirk that newbies will notice and will need to quickly learn to do by force of habit.
When having any conversation at work with anyone else, you will notice that the party being spoken to will casually turn away from you every few minutes or so and jiggle their mouse.
Do not take as a personal affront toward you.
Nor do you need to politely avert your eyes to the ceiling and clear your throat while this personal fondling occurs.
Some very very lonely, extremely isolated and totally forgotten bureaucrat buried deeply somewhere in the darkest bowels of the government years ago decided to take it upon themselves that if he/she cannot have any ongoing contact with the outside world, then all those in the outside world shall be required to jiggle their mouse every 10 minutes of every working hour, every day, day after day after day after day, for the rest of their lives in direct retribution.
Thus when you start working if you do not jiggle your mouse every 10 minutes then you lose contact with your working on screen program.
In a hearing and having a long examination with the VE? Reach over and jiggle your mouse!
Talking with a fellow ALJ down the hall? Run back to your office and jiggle your mouse!
At home and downstairs making a new pot of coffee? Run upstairs and jiggle your mouse!
Indisposed and perusing the newest People magazine while in the office "library"? Dude, you better hurry up your business and go jiggle your mouse!!!!!
That little lonesome forgotten bureaucrat has been laughing his ###@@ off everyday for the past few years as he literally holds the entire administration captive every 10 minutes, non stop, day after day.
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Post by gary on Sept 25, 2016 8:27:53 GMT -5
One additional quirk that newbies will notice and will need to quickly learn to do by force of habit. When having any conversation at work with anyone else, you will notice that the party being spoken to will casually turn away from you every few minutes or so and jiggle their mouse. Do not take as a personal affront toward you. Nor do you need to politely avert your eyes to the ceiling and clear your throat while this personal fondling occurs. Some very very lonely, extremely isolated and totally forgotten bureaucrat buried deeply somewhere in the darkest bowels of the government years ago decided to take it upon themselves that if he/she cannot have any ongoing contact with the outside world, then all those in the outside world shall be required to jiggle their mouse every 10 minutes of every working hour, every day, day after day after day after day, for the rest of their lives in direct retribution. Thus when you start working if you do not jiggle your mouse every 10 minutes then you lose contact with your working on screen program. In a hearing and having a long examination with the VE? Reach over and jiggle your mouse! Talking with a fellow ALJ down the hall? Run back to your office and jiggle your mouse! At home and downstairs making a new pot of coffee? Run upstairs and jiggle your mouse! Indisposed and perusing the newest People magazine while in the office "library"? Dude, you better hurry up your business and go jiggle your mouse!!!!! That little lonesome forgotten bureaucrat has been laughing his ###@@ off everyday for the past few years as he literally holds the entire administration captive every 10 minutes, non stop, day after day. There has to be a solution: 1. Maybe the agency could assign an employee in each office to run around all day jiggling unattended mice. 2. If the agency won't provide relief, there could be an office pool got up to hire a kid--maybe one who in an earlier time would have delivered newspapers--to be the office mouse jiggler. 3. Perhaps the agency needs to pop for bedpans and urinals for everyone. 4. In any event, SSA R & D needs to develop an automated mouse jiggler. The research can be funded by walks and runs for the cure of Mouse Jiggling Syndrome. |
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Post by Pixie on Sept 25, 2016 8:32:15 GMT -5
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Post by gary on Sept 25, 2016 8:36:30 GMT -5
The government will need to develop its own at a price point about 50 X higher, but this one could serve as the template. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2016 9:14:49 GMT -5
The automated mouse jiggler is indeed the solution to all.
However, I understand that the sole patent holder on same is...a very very isolated and lonely IT clerk buried somewhere in the deep dark bowels of the government and the royalty options for same are somewhere in the neighborhood of $115 million dollars per order.
Not currently within OMB parameters.
If only we were Defense Agency, then easily doable.
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Post by hopefalj on Sept 25, 2016 10:07:45 GMT -5
One additional quirk that newbies will notice and will need to quickly learn to do by force of habit. When having any conversation at work with anyone else, you will notice that the party being spoken to will casually turn away from you every few minutes or so and jiggle their mouse. Do not take as a personal affront toward you. Nor do you need to politely avert your eyes to the ceiling and clear your throat while this personal fondling occurs. Some very very lonely, extremely isolated and totally forgotten bureaucrat buried deeply somewhere in the darkest bowels of the government years ago decided to take it upon themselves that if he/she cannot have any ongoing contact with the outside world, then all those in the outside world shall be required to jiggle their mouse every 10 minutes of every working hour, every day, day after day after day after day, for the rest of their lives in direct retribution. Thus when you start working if you do not jiggle your mouse every 10 minutes then you lose contact with your working on screen program. In a hearing and having a long examination with the VE? Reach over and jiggle your mouse! Talking with a fellow ALJ down the hall? Run back to your office and jiggle your mouse! At home and downstairs making a new pot of coffee? Run upstairs and jiggle your mouse! Indisposed and perusing the newest People magazine while in the office "library"? Dude, you better hurry up your business and go jiggle your mouse!!!!! That little lonesome forgotten bureaucrat has been laughing his ###@@ off everyday for the past few years as he literally holds the entire administration captive every 10 minutes, non stop, day after day. You should be locking your computer in a few of your scenarios, so you wouldn't need to jiggle your mouse if you'd just follow the IT policy. |
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Post by redryder on Sept 25, 2016 13:06:51 GMT -5
As I read this thread, I was wondering what do people believe a judge is entitled to? As few of us ever held any judicial position prior to accepting the ALJ job, we are truly in the dark as to what a judge "should" receive. Do you really believe that your state district court judges have more than we do? Last time I checked, they are dependent on that same legislative largesse as SSA, except theirs is more complex. They are dependent on fine collections, local taxes and state legislatures--none of whom can print money or run a deficit budget (or at least not where I live).
Two of our judges came here by way of DOJ and the district court systems. Both told the same stories of the magistrates and district court judges having to turn in monthly productivity reports, including how much time was spent on the bench each month. Not how many hearings were scheduled, but how many hours were actually spent in the courtroom. From what I understand in my discussions with my colleagues, these reports determined which courtrooms (as in, no money to maintain the big one if you can use the little one) were maintained and how many support staff the judge/magistrate would be allotted. The judge/magistrate may have one permanent law clerk, but if there is another position, it is a revolving door of two-year appointees.
Bottom line: You will be better served if you go into this job with no pre-conceived notions as to what a judge is entitled to. The only guarantees are your salary and benefits. You will be paid every two weeks and you have various insurance and pension plans. And from that point, you need to learn to focus on the positives about your day-to-day situation. If you don't, you are in for a long, bitter and disappointing career. Griping is not going to change anything but it will eat you alive. However, if you accept your circumstances with a positive countenance, your attitude will affect those around you. You will be able to see the humor in the snafu. And heaven knows, there will be screw-ups galore. Why, every day is Monday when you are on the bench. You can guarantee something will go wrong at least once with your computer, the hearing reporter's computer, the VE's computer. Someone will show up late, or not at all.
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Post by cowboy on Sept 25, 2016 22:52:12 GMT -5
When I first applied to be an ALJ, I was visiting Superior Court Judges whom I had practiced in front of to request that they would be my references. One in particular took an interest in the position of a US ALJ. She asked, "You can select a city other than here? You don't have to run for re-election every 4 years?" (In Arizona, voters are asked if they want to retain each judge at the general election. JPs have to run for office every 4 years.) "You can remain in the same field (SSA disability)?" When we talked further, I noted how much more work they do than this position. They will often work nights and weekends researching motions trying to keep on schedule. There are no credit hours. They have no law clerks to assist their workload. There is no maximum amount of cases they handle. They clerk's office cannot stop taking in pleadings and it takes a legislative act to add more judges. In order to take a vacation, they have to put a hold on all hearings and trials. The list went on and on. After our discussion, she asked me how she can apply for this position.
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Post by bowser on Sept 26, 2016 7:04:21 GMT -5
Two of our judges came here by way of DOJ and the district court systems. Both told the same stories of the magistrates and district court judges having to turn in monthly productivity reports, ... The judge/magistrate may have one permanent law clerk, but if there is another position, it is a revolving door of two-year appointees. Yeah - always made me wonder about the union's assessment of their audience, when they thought: "Waah - we are expected to do a lot of work" would be a winning argument in federal courts!  But surely you are not underestimating the benefit we as ALJs could derive from "one permanent law clerk", not to mention "two year appointees." Also, the MJs and DCt judge's I was familiar with had at least one receptionist/clerical person assigned to them - as well as a staff pool they could draw on. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2016 7:18:38 GMT -5
I think that an attempt to compare the positions of an appointed ALJ to that of elected state or appointed federal Judges would be difficult at best. What the State/federal Judges do and the powers they hold are radically different from what "Administrative" law judges do. As the title denotes, we are on the administrative side of the ticket.
The direct power to hold persons in contempt, to jail persons, to take away property, to penalize and fine, to order persons per se....these we cannot do.
Now working nights and weekends, as noted by others on here (myself included) 11 hour work days plus weekend work is common, not the exception so no true difference there.
Credit/comp hours, yes we can earn as can any federal employee, federal judges in addition are paid much higher salaries; ranging from $203,100 for district Judge up to $260,700 for a Chief Justice.
Elected state judges? Depends upon each state and varies wildly. (As a temporarily elected position, personally I equate such state offices as more or less simply political offices, despite the "state judge" moniker, but again that is simply my personal viewpoint.)
Law clerks; they have, we do not.
SSA by law cannot stop taking SSA applications nor can ODARs stop accepting requests for hearings and it also takes an act of congress to add more ALJs.
To take a vacation or leave, yes SSA hearings are rescheduled accordingly and your cases can pile up when you get back.
I do not personally know of any fellow ALJs that have any preconception that this position is one of entitlement(s) to themselves. On the contrary, of the ALJs I do know, all take their position as one of an opportunity to serve and really no more than that.
Being an SSA ALJ in my isolated humble opinion is one of the best employment opportunities available in all of the United States' employments. I see a lot of humour and joking about the position and its SNAFUs and FUBARs, quirks and anomalies on here. One should not read those as gripes but more as teasing by upperclassmen as means of welcoming for purpose of relieving the incredible tensions being felt by incoming freshman.
If we cannot tell incoming newbies with a straight face that all newly hired ALJ robes are required to have short sleeves and not pass their waist in length (to signify newness to claimants and reps), that they are not permitted to use pens or pencils, that they must volunteer to be OIC everyday for the first 60 days, and that they can never ever ever leave their computer alone for more than 9 minutes, well then, the freshmen ALJs will walk into the office on their first day with all sorts of erroneous preconceived notions!
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Post by wuwei on Sept 26, 2016 7:41:21 GMT -5
I love dry humour, and you all never disappoint.
I worked for the EEOC during undergrad, so I value the importance of working and managing ( an immensely voluminous) backlog.
I also had the honor of clerking for a state court judge after law school, so I have the same appreciation of docket management and a tinge of anticipated envy for ALJs not having contempt power. ;-)
That said, I'd love to jump in to this game and help clear out claims - however they ought to be decided. I can whip up a Rube Goldberg machine out of those unused pens and pencils that will rattle my mouse every 9 minutes or so...
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Post by bowser on Sept 26, 2016 8:18:56 GMT -5
Being an SSA ALJ in my isolated humble opinion is one of the best employment opportunities available in all of the United States' employments. I agree with you - it is a great gig. You don't see me going anywhere! But, given the various constraints, the only way I've been able to maintain my sanity is to perceive myself as more of a paper-pushing bureaucrat than a "judge." Hell, I'm a damned fine paper pusher! I get compensated well, and I do a fine job compared to the average of my colleagues. But I always wonder what planet folk are on when they act as tho we are something other than "hearing officers" or any other reasonably high-level bureaucrat. If we are supposed to be judges, we should be given the powers/support to do so. If we are treated by our employers and the participants as any other government decision-maker, then we ought to be darned thrilled for the pay and perks we get. |
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