The policy of the Social Security Administration to keep the name of the SSA ALJ secret is officially over today, April 20, 2013. This policy was introduced while Michael Astrue was the Commissioner of Social Security. Astrue's term ended earlier this year and he was replaced by acting Commissioner Carolyn Colvin. This policy was supposedly put in place to avoid ALJ shopping.
Everyone wants the most favorable ALJ for their case, but there was never really a way to ALJ shop in the local SSA Hearing Offices. When your case is assigned to an ALJ at the hearing office, it will stay with that ALJ unless you move to another hearing office's territory. Basically, the policy was pointless.
If you have a hearing scheduled and do not know who your ALJ is, simply call the hearing office and ask. Look here for SSA hearing office phone numbers. Once you find out the name of the ALJ, you can read here to determine your ALJ's disposition data. BUT, be careful with this information. The ALJ disposition data is not always a good way to view the judge. The numbers may be skewed by various factors that are beyond the ALJ’s control.
Having an attorney who is familiar with the SSA ALJ’s preferences and practices can help your case more than any review you read. Call the Bishop Law Firm today for a free case evaluation!
Resources:
- http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/factsheets/colvin.htm
- http://www.ssa.gov/appeals/ho_locator.html
- https://www.disabilitylawfirmnc.com/reviews-of-ssa-aljs/
