Withholding Identity of Administrative Law Judge Until Hearing

Administrative Law Judges will be made Unknown until Hearing

Starting this week, the Social Security Administration will withhold identity of which Administrative Law Judge has been assigned to their case prior to the date of the hearing. It is hoped that the change in policy will prevent the manipulation of cases in order to get lenient Judges. Some worry that the lack of notice will interfere with an attorney’s ability to prepare adequately for a particular Judge’s idiosyncrasies.

Social Security hearings are informal and do not follow strict rules of procedure. As a result, Judges have latitude to hold hearings as they deem appropriate. Some Judges ask the Attorney for an opening statement, most prefer written briefs. Sometimes a Judge turns the initial questioning of the claimant over to the Attorney, while others prefer to take the bulk of testimony themselves.

The change in policy will not affect our ability to present your case skillfully before any Judge adjudicating a Social Security claim. At Rob Levine and Associates, we submit a written brief to the Judge detailing the basis for a favorable decision for every case we handle. We also stay in close communication with the Hearing Assistants at the Office for Disability Adjudication and Review to be sure that all pertinent evidence has been associated with your file.