Supervisory Atty Adviser (Hearing Office Director)

[sgl]

Apart from an ALJ post, is this a golden gig for a lot of you career ODAR attorneys? It's GS-14, probably involves more variety of tasks, and you're pretty much the head honcho at the HO (you work in conjunction with the HOCALJ). I'd assume the HOD's serve as the "face" of the regional Hearing Offices.

Anyone here started out as an AA and make the ascension to SA and then eventually to HOD?

[aaa]

Yes, I did - AA to SA to Supervisory Attorney (before HPI) and then HOD with HPI and now ALJ. AA 4 years; SA 6 months; Sup. Atty 5 years; HOD 7 1/2 yrs; ALJ 6 months now.

I would not necesssarily agree with "golden gig" for an ODAR attorney. It's a 14 yes, but you end up a jack of all trades (especially email) but a master of none. There is not much attorney work done unless you stay involved in the senior attorney and case review aspect of it. I enjoyed the job but it was definitely time for a change. It was great for my future to become an ALJ and it was great for the office to get a new HOD - she's a good manager and is practical and has implented a lot of really good ideas since starting that make me embarrassed I didn't think of them. So like I say - it was a good thing for the office.

[sgl]

Were the Sup. Atty and HOD positions merged following HPI?

Did your journey up the ladder occur all at the same hearing office?

Thanks.

[valkyrie]

The HOD position creates a position that can be held accountable for an office's performance. Before management responsibility was split between a Hearing Office Manager(HOM), a Supervisory Staff Attorney(SSA), and the hearing Office Chief Judge(HOCALJ). The HOCALJ is nominally in charge of the office both before and after HPI, but there is no penalty for a non-performing HOCALJ. Yes, the HOCALJ can be replaced as Chief by another judge, but the only loss is the title, extra responsibility, and the HOCALJ office space. There is no loss of salary or benefits. By merging the SSA and HOM positions into a HOD, and adding an extra pay grade, regional management now has someone with something to lose in a single position sharing top management responsibility with the HOCALJ. If a HOD gets axed, there is a loss of a full pay grade. Due to the inability to work overtime, a Senior Attorney can pretty much match or exceed the HOD's pay, without having half the responsibility. I personally think that the HOD should be a GS-15.

[aaa]

My whole career has been at the same office. It's been great since day one. We've gone from 2 ALJs and about 10 total people in the office to 7 ALJs and about 40 people total in the office over 17 years. The office has always been a good performing office (meeting goals consistently) and at times I would say we are stellar performers (some months we've disposed of 2 times the goal). We've often taken on additional service area to help other offices. For those 17 years we've had the same HOCALJ too - he hears and puts out as many cases as other ALJs despite his management duties.

[lawyer1]

My background is similar to AAA's, except that I spent more time at the GS level and only a year and half as HOD. I agree with AAA. I just wanted to add that I was told by an ALJ that the GS 14 level, under the old system, gave you more points when your resume was scored. That was one of my primary reasons for applying for the HOD job. Who knows what they do with it now.

[barkley]

They don't score the resumes, but I would think that a HOD or PGS would have alot more to talk about in the Judicial Management section of the ARs, that other agency attorneys who do not have some outside experience.

[aaa]

For my resume, all of my private practice experience was very remote, obviously, although I was in private practice for a little over 5 years before coming to SSA. I did some litigation but mostly we did domestic relations and a smattering of tort work. After beginning work for the agency I did obtain my EMT certificate so I could get a good foundation for medical stuff - either that was my reason or maybe I got my EMT certificate because I'd written ALJ decisions for long enough I assumed I knew everything medical and should breeze through the EMT classes! In retrospect I can see that assuming I knew it all, all those years ago was quite laughable now. Now I can see that I will NEVER know it all, no matter how hard I try!