number of attys per ALJ @ SSA

[interested]

Does anyone know the average # (or a typical #) of attorneys assigned to an ALJ in the SSA? I'm trying to get some sense of the number of tentative decisions per week prepared by the attorneys for ALJ review/signature. (My question presupposes that the process requires the attorneys to review the e-file, the transcript of the hearing, if any, and then prepare a draft decision for the ALJ's review, revision (if any) and signature on the final draft.) Anecdotal replies, and replies correcting any errors in my presuppositions, are welcome.

[morgullord]

Attorneys are not "assigned" to ALJs. The office is divided into groups with one senior attorney affiliated with the group and maybe one or two attorneys assigned to the group. There are usually 3-4 judges per group. The number of decisions per week varies, depending upon many factors. OCALJ wants 500-700 decisions per ALJ per year. Plan on doing a lot of bench decisions and on-record decisions to supplement what you get from the writers.

If you want to maximize your return from the decision writers, try clear, readable instructions that convey a result consistent with the evidence.

There are no transcripts.

[atticus]

My learned colleague Morgullord is correct as to organization within the office, and his suggestions for making "goal" for an individual ALJs are helpful, but I must disagree with his transcript statement. While it is true that there is no verbatim transcript, there is a summarized transcript and a complete digital audio recording of each hearing. The summarized transcripts are useful mainly in trying to find something in the audio recording. I suppose transcripts, like beauty, are in the eyes of the beholder.

[morgullord]

In my office, referral to the summary prepared by the hearing monitor is considered an act of desperation.

A portion of a typical summary:
"ME sworn in."
"ME testified"
"VE sworn in."
"Judge gives limitations."
"VE testified."

BTW the quality of the audio recordings often leaves a great deal to be desired since people often like to speak in any direction except into the microphone.

[aaa]

There are also paralegal decision writers as well as attorney decision writers. In our office the paralegals are excellent writers. Other offices might not be as lucky. In our office we have 7 ALJs, 2 paralegals, 2 senior attorneys and 6 attorneys. Dispositional goals per ALJ per day is about 2.23 cases out the door (this may be a mix of decisions and dismissals). Figure 250 working days per year and that comes out to about 557. In our office some ALJs do a few bench decisions, some ALJs write some of their own favorables - over all a very good mix for us. We moved to weekly goals which has worked well for us. We consistently make goal and have for several years. The majority of ALJs here use the FIT instructions. The writers don't have time to research or listen to the hearings - there simply isn't enough time.

[odarite]

The content of the summary provided by the CHR (hearing monitor) varies from monitor to monitor, but in my office they are more like atticus than morgullord reports. Thankfully.

[interested]

Thanks all, for the helpful information and advice.