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Post by neufenland on Jun 16, 2021 21:29:43 GMT -5
The future ALJ is a current well liked OHO manager, SSA OGC attorney, AC appeals officer, or some manager/policy person in HQ that happens to have a law degree. During the register times there was little reason to want to become a hearing office group supervisor. The pay raise from 12 to 13 wasn't really worth it for all the trouble of the job, losing telework, and losing overtime. Now, management can attract high performing writers to become high performing managers with the prospect of ALJ. Writers can't sit back and hope to squeeze in an ALJ position some day with a lucky high register score or veteran's preference. The game changed, TPTB have a new carrot. You said it better than I could have, and I think you are exactly right. Pixie Yup. It's a very similar situation at VA and I saw that with my own eyes for 12 years. As an outsider, I think it doesn't look good at all. And with that, so goeth any hope I ever had of being a Judge (AL or otherwise). I'll probably keep tilting at windmills as a glutton for punishment, but I've got no realistic hope. I honestly wish I hadn't been scared to take organic chemistry and physics in college. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid, but I stunk at math and wimped out of the prerequisites. |
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Post by Pixie on Jun 17, 2021 14:33:07 GMT -5
You said it better than I could have, and I think you are exactly right. Pixie Yup. It's a very similar situation at VA and I saw that with my own eyes for 12 years. As an outsider, I think it doesn't look good at all. And with that, so goeth any hope I ever had of being a Judge (AL or otherwise). I'll probably keep tilting at windmills as a glutton for punishment, but I've got no realistic hope. I honestly wish I hadn't been scared to take organic chemistry and physics in college. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid, but I stunk at math and wimped out of the prerequisites. Yep, we are all where we are for good reasons. Most of us are of high IQ, but never did well with the hard sciences. Pixie |
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Post by arkstfan on Jun 18, 2021 23:03:58 GMT -5
Yup. It's a very similar situation at VA and I saw that with my own eyes for 12 years. As an outsider, I think it doesn't look good at all. And with that, so goeth any hope I ever had of being a Judge (AL or otherwise). I'll probably keep tilting at windmills as a glutton for punishment, but I've got no realistic hope. I honestly wish I hadn't been scared to take organic chemistry and physics in college. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid, but I stunk at math and wimped out of the prerequisites. Yep, we are all where we are for good reasons. Most of us are of high IQ, but never did well with the hard sciences. Pixie Hard science wasn’t my problem. I just don’t like touching non-family much less people’s innards or smelling gross stuff. Seriously considered medical school and noped out of applying. I took a course in law school where we did a lot of stuff with med school across town. Spent time in ER, watched surgeries, attended an autopsy, went on rounds and came away knowing that after classroom phase, I’d never have made it. |
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Post by neufenland on Jun 29, 2021 13:06:25 GMT -5
Yep, we are all where we are for good reasons. Most of us are of high IQ, but never did well with the hard sciences. Pixie Hard science wasn’t my problem. I just don’t like touching non-family much less people’s innards or smelling gross stuff. Seriously considered medical school and noped out of applying. I took a course in law school where we did a lot of stuff with med school across town. Spent time in ER, watched surgeries, attended an autopsy, went on rounds and came away knowing that after classroom phase, I’d never have made it. I once had a pathologist as an expert for a trial, and when we were shooting the breeze after court, he told me liked to ride motorcycles. Seems that if anyone would NOT be into that, it would be a pathologist... |
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Post by jagvet on Jun 29, 2021 13:13:47 GMT -5
Hard science wasn’t my problem. I just don’t like touching non-family much less people’s innards or smelling gross stuff. Seriously considered medical school and noped out of applying. I took a course in law school where we did a lot of stuff with med school across town. Spent time in ER, watched surgeries, attended an autopsy, went on rounds and came away knowing that after classroom phase, I’d never have made it. I once had a pathologist as an expert for a trial, and when we were shooting the breeze after court, he told me liked to ride motorcycles. Seems that if anyone would NOT be into that, it would be a pathologist... I wouldn't believe him--he's a pathological liar! |
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Post by neufenland on Jun 29, 2021 13:16:25 GMT -5
I once had a pathologist as an expert for a trial, and when we were shooting the breeze after court, he told me liked to ride motorcycles. Seems that if anyone would NOT be into that, it would be a pathologist... I wouldn't believe him--he's a pathological liar! I guess it was a good thing it didn't come up on the record...hahaha. |
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Post by pumpkin on Jun 29, 2021 17:55:52 GMT -5
Hard science wasn’t my problem. I just don’t like touching non-family much less people’s innards or smelling gross stuff. Seriously considered medical school and noped out of applying. I took a course in law school where we did a lot of stuff with med school across town. Spent time in ER, watched surgeries, attended an autopsy, went on rounds and came away knowing that after classroom phase, I’d never have made it. I once had a pathologist as an expert for a trial, and when we were shooting the breeze after court, he told me liked to ride motorcycles. Seems that if anyone would NOT be into that, it would be a pathologist... Or, perhaps, as a pathologist who saw a lot of unexpected death across all ages, he realized that life is fleeting and nobody is guaranteed tomorrow. I could see where that would make you a ride or die kind of guy. |
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Post by statman on Jul 2, 2021 17:50:08 GMT -5
The test process was not perfect but no process is. Then new process will get lackeys and good technicians but not good ALJs. This is based on my observation of a decade and more. I would say more but some things are better left unsaid.
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Post by seaside on Jul 5, 2021 5:28:16 GMT -5
I once had a pathologist as an expert for a trial, and when we were shooting the breeze after court, he told me liked to ride motorcycles. Seems that if anyone would NOT be into that, it would be a pathologist... Or, perhaps, as a pathologist who saw a lot of unexpected death across all ages, he realized that life is fleeting and nobody is guaranteed tomorrow. I could see where that would make you a ride or die kind of guy. My thoughts exactly. Now, if they were a transplant surgeon… |
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Post by aljudgmental on Jul 5, 2021 9:57:41 GMT -5
The test process was not perfect but no process is. Then new process will get lackeys and good technicians but not good ALJs. This is based on my observation of a decade and more. I would say more but some things are better left unsaid. Some things are perfectly clear even when unsaid. |
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Post by arkstfan on Jul 5, 2021 19:25:29 GMT -5
Hard science wasn’t my problem. I just don’t like touching non-family much less people’s innards or smelling gross stuff. Seriously considered medical school and noped out of applying. I took a course in law school where we did a lot of stuff with med school across town. Spent time in ER, watched surgeries, attended an autopsy, went on rounds and came away knowing that after classroom phase, I’d never have made it. I once had a pathologist as an expert for a trial, and when we were shooting the breeze after court, he told me liked to ride motorcycles. Seems that if anyone would NOT be into that, it would be a pathologist... Cousin is an internist. When the state began debating repeal of the motorcycle helmet law she said she tentatively supported it because she had some patients in dire need of a transplant, but otherwise considered it stupid. Orthopedic surgeon I go to church with said he’d rather ban motorcycles because he had too many one legged patients. |
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Post by neufenland on Jul 8, 2021 20:55:58 GMT -5
I once had a pathologist as an expert for a trial, and when we were shooting the breeze after court, he told me liked to ride motorcycles. Seems that if anyone would NOT be into that, it would be a pathologist... Cousin is an internist. When the state began debating repeal of the motorcycle helmet law she said she tentatively supported it because she had some patients in dire need of a transplant, but otherwise considered it stupid. Orthopedic surgeon I go to church with said he’d rather ban motorcycles because he had too many one legged patients. The ER people call them "donorcycles." Every now and then I get tempted to take the safety course offered by our state, but then I remember that a rider is three times more likely to be involved in a crash with injuries than a car driver. I can't provide a cite to that statistic or anything (it might very well be garbage). In fact, I'm just remembering my mom telling me this decades ago in an apparently successful attempt to scare me, and she probably just made it up. Whatever the case, I'm not chancing it. |
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Post by roymcavoy on Jul 8, 2021 22:19:44 GMT -5
I once had a pathologist as an expert for a trial, and when we were shooting the breeze after court, he told me liked to ride motorcycles. Seems that if anyone would NOT be into that, it would be a pathologist... Cousin is an internist. When the state began debating repeal of the motorcycle helmet law she said she tentatively supported it because she had some patients in dire need of a transplant, but otherwise considered it stupid. Orthopedic surgeon I go to church with said he’d rather ban motorcycles because he had too many one legged patients. I spent a few weeks in Scotland last year and learned that many citizens there call motorcyclists “temporary residents.” To be fair, their moto-driving is quite aggressive compared to US. In fact, one moto/auto accident caused us to reroute our plans on the western isles. |
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Post by roymcavoy on Jul 13, 2021 21:27:03 GMT -5
I apologize if this has been posted before…. I saw that Dem leaders had reached a budget deal and decided to search for SSA budget request for FY2022. Interesting tidbit on pp 100-101. Apparently we were not the only ones bothered by that exec order on hiring without competitive service testing. It also got the attention of the Ways and Means Committee. Note that this document preceded the 14 May 2021 Exec Order that upheld certain admin orders from the prior Admin. www.ssa.gov/budget/FY22Files/FY22-JEAC.pdf |
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Post by noah on Jul 14, 2021 1:34:47 GMT -5
This sounds like a strong endorsement for a return to the Register for SSA ALJ hiring. That is the correct result.
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Post by roymcavoy on Jul 14, 2021 6:13:53 GMT -5
This sounds like a strong endorsement for a return to the Register for SSA ALJ hiring. That is the correct result. That the executive order came later and the commissioner was relieved of his duties after that makes me less sure of this result than you sound. But to me, the fact that W&M committee raised it as a problem makes it fall within the title of this thread. |
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Post by Ace Midnight on Jul 14, 2021 8:51:07 GMT -5
Most of us are of high IQ  |
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Post by fowlfinder on Jul 14, 2021 11:08:23 GMT -5
I apologize if this has been posted before…. I saw that Dem leaders had reached a budget deal and decided to search for SSA budget request for FY2022. Interesting tidbit on pp 100-101. Apparently we were not the only ones bothered by that exec order on hiring without competitive service testing. It also got the attention of the Ways and Means Committee. Note that this document preceded the 14 May 2021 Exec Order that upheld certain admin orders from the prior Admin. www.ssa.gov/budget/FY22Files/FY22-JEAC.pdfI don't know if that actually means a return to the register. It does seem that the W&M Committee is concerned. However what the Committee wanted was a report on what SSA planned to do instead of the register. SSA's response was, "we'll get you that report." I know that SSA has a process that they put in place for hiring, post register. (I know because I got interviewed before the Saul Hiring Freeze came down.) From my experience it was not a process (on its face) that benefited political cronyism, and emphasized similar things that the register qualification emphasized. I suspect that if W&M finds that adequate, that process will stick around. The big question about that process is the first "winnowing," as those selected for interviews were from the defunct register, though not in any particular scored order. The big question I have is what that first narrowing of applicants will look like. If the committee has a problem with the new system, I suspect it may be in that part of it, not at the final selection portion. But that is me looking in through a glass darkly. |
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Post by roymcavoy on Jul 14, 2021 15:59:07 GMT -5
I apologize if this has been posted before…. I saw that Dem leaders had reached a budget deal and decided to search for SSA budget request for FY2022. Interesting tidbit on pp 100-101. Apparently we were not the only ones bothered by that exec order on hiring without competitive service testing. It also got the attention of the Ways and Means Committee. Note that this document preceded the 14 May 2021 Exec Order that upheld certain admin orders from the prior Admin. www.ssa.gov/budget/FY22Files/FY22-JEAC.pdfI don't know if that actually means a return to the register. It does seem that the W&M Committee is concerned. However what the Committee wanted was a report on what SSA planned to do instead of the register. SSA's response was, "we'll get you that report." I know that SSA has a process that they put in place for hiring, post register. (I know because I got interviewed before the Saul Hiring Freeze came down.) From my experience it was not a process (on its face) that benefited political cronyism, and emphasized similar things that the register qualification emphasized. I suspect that if W&M finds that adequate, that process will stick around. The big question about that process is the first "winnowing," as those selected for interviews were from the defunct register, though not in any particular scored order. The big question I have is what that first narrowing of applicants will look like. If the committee has a problem with the new system, I suspect it may be in that part of it, not at the final selection portion. But that is me looking in through a glass darkly. I was also in that 2019 interview group. As you will recall, the Senate included language in the SSA budget for that year effectively requiring that any ALJ hired had to have passed OPMs testing (thus being on the register). So that process of which you speak also died with the register—but I’d imagine W&M would want something along those same initial, objective lines. |
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Post by fowlfinder on Jul 14, 2021 16:11:16 GMT -5
I don't know if that actually means a return to the register. It does seem that the W&M Committee is concerned. However what the Committee wanted was a report on what SSA planned to do instead of the register. SSA's response was, "we'll get you that report." I know that SSA has a process that they put in place for hiring, post register. (I know because I got interviewed before the Saul Hiring Freeze came down.) From my experience it was not a process (on its face) that benefited political cronyism, and emphasized similar things that the register qualification emphasized. I suspect that if W&M finds that adequate, that process will stick around. The big question about that process is the first "winnowing," as those selected for interviews were from the defunct register, though not in any particular scored order. The big question I have is what that first narrowing of applicants will look like. If the committee has a problem with the new system, I suspect it may be in that part of it, not at the final selection portion. But that is me looking in through a glass darkly. I was also in that 2019 interview group. As you will recall, the Senate included language in the SSA budget for that year effectively requiring that any ALJ hired had to have passed OPMs testing (thus being on the register). So that process of which you speak also died with the register—but I’d imagine W&M would want something along those same initial, objective lines. That is that first winnowing I was referring to, which is the part that I am concerned about. |
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