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Post by zero on Feb 12, 2009 17:18:58 GMT -5
I'm picking up this topic from another thread: Does SSA pay for ALJ CLEs? Will SSA allow you to attend CLEs during duty time? Somebody said SSA makes it difficult to use duty time for CLEs. How does SSA make it difficult?
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Post by odarite on Feb 12, 2009 19:07:35 GMT -5
No. No. True. By not allowing it unless they sponsor the program: vis the AALJ conference in years past, or in 2008 the multi-regional judicial conferences. And when they sponsor the program they won't pay whatever the CLE credits cost in your licensing state (if anything), but at the judicial conferences they paid for hotels, travel and per diem. At the AALJ conferences they used to pay some portion of the registration fee but the transportation and hotel were on you. The judicial conferences are a much better deal from the economic standpoint of the participating judge.
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Post by nightowl on Feb 12, 2009 19:13:23 GMT -5
It's my understanding that they do not allow you to use duty time to take CLEs. However, you can get CLE credit from your state for ALJ training given by ODAR, but you need to submit the proper paperwork to your state CLE board to get approval for the training. For example, numerous people received varying degrees of credits from their states for the new ALJ training that took place last year. The amount of credits depended on each state's CLE board.
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Post by chieftain on Feb 12, 2009 19:30:49 GMT -5
You may want to check with your state bar to see if you are required to submit CLE credits if you are practicing out of state. I know of at least a couple that waive the CLE requirement if you are not going to work in-state.
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Post by barkley on Feb 12, 2009 19:59:26 GMT -5
With the staff attorneys, maintaining our license and getting CLE credit is our financial responsibility, but SSA will give us administrative leave time to do it, I guess since it is a requirement of our employment.
Can the ALJs get administrative leave?
Is current agency policy that they want the ALJs license to be current after hiring?
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Post by hooligan on Feb 12, 2009 21:12:39 GMT -5
Can the ALJs get administrative leave? An ALJ can get up to 5 days a year of administrative leave to engage in educational activities. Many use it to attend the annual conferences put on by the AALJ union. Other options are permissible. |
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Post by alj on Feb 12, 2009 22:17:56 GMT -5
Can the ALJs get administrative leave? An ALJ can get up to 5 days a year of administrative leave to engage in educational activities. Many use it to attend the annual conferences put on by the AALJ union. Other options are permissible. Five days if the judge attends the AALJ conference. The agency would like to put an end to that gathering. It is putting on its own conference now. Look for the five days to be whittled down and then phased out. If one doesn't go to the conference, then the rule is two consecutive days, and the CLE program must be related to the judge's duties. Look for this rule to be more strictly enforced than in the past. It is spelled out in a letter from OCALJ which is copied from a letter back in the 90s from Judge Anglada. Many states don't accept "in house" training for CLE credits. In those states the new judge training would not be accepted. The agency is doing whatever it can to make it more difficult for the judges to use government time to obtain CLE credits. And don't tell me it isn't so; I had to use my personal annual leave last year to get my required CLE. The people at region acted as though CLE was something I wanted to do, not something that I was required to do by my state bar. But please keep in mind that my state has some of the most stringent CLE requirements in the country. The agency really doesn't care about that. In its view I can always use my annual leave to get what is required. |
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Post by zero on Feb 13, 2009 8:51:44 GMT -5
Well on the bright side, it might make it easier to justify using my own money to attend one of these exotic CLE trips to London or Italy.
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Post by aljsouth on Feb 13, 2009 9:37:38 GMT -5
The agency is not helpful at all to any of its attorneys or judges.
Many states exempt ALJ's from CLE requirements. Check with your state. As for agency sponsored CLE, it was done last year. Once a decade is not something to rely upon. We were told the agency was going to repeat its programs each year with 1/3 of the ALJ's going each year. So far nothing has been announced, but even if true it only helps a limited number of ALJ's.
The AALJ's program is good and they manage to get CLE credit for its attendees. Even though OPM backed off active licensing b/c of the lawsuit against it, I urge ALJ's to keep an active license, or judicial in states that put you in that category.
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Post by southerner on Feb 13, 2009 14:39:03 GMT -5
Presently, Louisiana does exempt federal judges and magistrates from CLE, payment of dues, and disciplinary fee assessments. The exemption does apply to administrative law judges. Check with your licensing jurisdiction.
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