These positions are located in the Office of Hearings Operations, Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge, Hearing Offices nationwide.
The incumbent is subordinate to and accountable to the direction and supervision of the Commissioner of Social Security. Under the direction of the Hearing Office Chief ALJ, the incumbent holds hearings and makes and issues decisions on appeals from determinations on claims filed under Titles II, VIII, and XVI of the Social Security Act, as amended.
Summary
These positions are located in the Office of Hearings Operations, Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge, Hearing Offices nationwide.
The incumbent is subordinate to and accountable to the direction and supervision of the Commissioner of Social Security. Under the direction of the Hearing Office Chief ALJ, the incumbent holds hearings and makes and issues decisions on appeals from determinations on claims filed under Titles II, VIII, and XVI of the Social Security Act, as amended.
Under agency regulations that implement Titles II, VIII, and XVI of the Act, the incumbent holds hearings and issues timely and legally sufficient decisions and may:
1) dismiss a request for hearing and rule on a request for an extension of time;
2) identify issues to be resolved;
3) analyze the evidence;
4) determine whether there are other parties to be joined in the case;
5) issue subpoenas and rule on petitions to revoke subpoenas;
6) consider and resolve conflicting evidence;
7) hear testimony and rule on all motions, petitions, or exceptions involving questions of law, procedure, and the admissibility of evidence;
8) hold pre-hearing conferences with the claimant, representative, or both;
9) make the evidence of record available to the parties and inform them of any evidence or expert testimony required in connection with the hearing;
10) administer oaths and affirmations;
11) govern the conduct of the parties at the hearing, and in general regulate the course of the hearing;
12) control the examination and cross-examination of witnesses;
13) introduce into the record documentary and other evidence deemed necessary for the completion or full development of the record;
14) hear oral argument, and receive and consider briefs that are submitted;
15) evaluate the credibility of witnesses, and resolve conflicts in lay and expert evidence;
16) consider and dispose of proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law submitted by the claimant;
17) make findings of fact in accordance with the Act, the agency's regulations, rulings, and policy on each issue, giving reasons therefore, and render conclusions of law;
18) fully consider all the evidence of record, issue timely and legally sufficient final decisions within the requirements of the Act, and which are individually signed or individually approved by the incumbent prior to issuance; and
19) entertain petitions for representative fees and issue orders designating the amount of fee authorized.
Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation required
Job offers are contingent on background / security investigation results
Qualifications
Licensure: Applicants must be licensed, authorized and eligible to practice law under the laws of a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territorial court established under the United States Constitution throughout the selection process. Judicial status is acceptable in lieu of "active" status in States that prohibit sitting judges from maintaining "active" status to practice law. Being "in good standing" is acceptable in lieu of "active" status in States where the licensing authority considers "good standing" as having a current license to practice law.
Experience: Applicants must have a full seven (7) years of experience as a licensed attorney preparing for, participating in, and/or reviewing formal hearings or trials involving litigation and/or administrative law at the Federal, State or local level.
Cases must have been conducted on the record under procedures at least as formal as those prescribed by sections 553 through 559 of Title 5, U.S.C.
Qualifying litigation experience involves cases in which a complaint was filed with a court, or a charging document (e.g., indictment or information) was issued by a court, a grand jury, or appropriate military authority, and includes:
participating in settlement or plea negotiations in advance of trial;
preparing for trial and/or trying of cases;
preparing opinions;
hearing cases;
participating in or conducting arbitration, mediation, or other alternative dispute resolution approved by the court; or
participating in appeals related to the types of cases above.
Qualifying administrative law experience involves cases before a governmental administrative body and includes:
participating in settlement negotiations in advance of hearing cases;
preparing for hearing and/or participating in hearings;
preparing opinions;
hearing cases;
participating in or conducting arbitration, mediation, or other alternative dispute resolution approved by the administrative body; or
participating in appeals related to the types of cases above.
Non-qualifying Experience
Experience involving cases with no formal hearing procedure and uncontested cases involving misdemeanors, probate, domestic relations, or tort matters is not qualifying.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. from an accredited Law School.
TRANSCRIPTS ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO SUBSTANTIATE POSSESSION OF THE REQUIRED AND CLAIMED EDUCATION. UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS (INCLUDING SCREEN PRINTS FROM YOUR SCHOOL'S WEB PORTAL) ARE ACCEPTABLE FOR INITIAL APPLICATION; HOWEVER, YOUR TRANSCRIPT MUST SHOW A DEGREE AND CONFERRED/AWARDED DATE PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. SELF-PREPARED TRANSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT.
Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications (ed.gov)
In addition, when reviewing an applicant's transcripts, assumptions will not be made. Applicants MUST state which coursework is relevant.
Additional information
Locations: The locations identified in this vacancy announcement include locations where the Agency anticipates vacancies for this position for as long as the Agency makes selections pursuant to this announcement. The Agency may continue to make selections pursuant to this announcement in multiple applicant-review cycles for various geographic locations. Not every geographic location listed above will be considered during each applicant-review cycle. When applicants select a city with multiple office locations, they will be considered for both locations.
Additional selections may be made for this vacancy at a future date if further positions become available.
Relocation expenses may be authorized in accordance with agency policy.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the ALJ Assessment Questionnaire, which is designed to capture the desired competencies for this position.
Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect how the Agency evaluates your qualifications. To preview the questions, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12563397
After evaluating responses to the ALJ Assessment Questionnaire, higher scoring candidates' resumes will be reviewed. The Agency will invite higher-scoring applicants to participate in a structured interview. Candidates who are selected to participate in a structured interview may also undergo a background investigation and reference checks. Selections will be made from those candidates after review of all application material submitted, along with results of the structured interview, reference checks, and background investigation.
Candidates who are invited to interview must be available during the timeframe that has been designated for interviews. Candidates who are not available will receive no further consideration. Once an interview has been scheduled, candidates will not ordinarily have the option to re-schedule. Interviews will be conducted in-person. Reasonable accommodation may be available if an applicant is unable, for medical reasons, to participate in an in-person interview.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Resume documenting at least seven (7) years of relevant litigation or administrative law experience
Veterans' documents, e.g., DD-214 or other substantiating documents, if applicable
Proof of Active Bar Membership
Transcripts
RESUME: You may create a resume in USAJOBS or upload one of your own. Resumes, in lieu of agency-specific Experience and Qualifications Statements or similar, are preferred. Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your resume must include: From/To dates of employment (MM/DD/YYYY-MM/DD/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name; position title; Federal grade level(s) held for each Federal position, if applicable; hours, if less than full time; and duties performed. In addition, any experience on less than a full-time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.
Please provide sufficient details in your resume to enable us to determine if you meet the requirement for qualifying experience (as stated in the Qualifications section). Providing insufficient details in your resume may result in a lower or ineligible rating. To enable us to determine the length of your experience, it is important that you provide the month, day, and year of the starting and ending dates of employment. If you only provide the month and year of a starting date of employment, we will assume the start date is the last day of the month. If you only provide the month and year of an ending date of employment, we will assume the end date is the first day of the month. If you fail to provide the month and date of the starting and ending dates of employment, your starting date will be assumed to have been the last day of that year and your ending date will be assumed to be the first date of the year. When describing the duties performed for each position, be brief and concise, but inclusive in the description of your experience. If you held multiple positions with the same employer, please include the job title, dates, and duties for each position. It is preferred that resumes are no more than three (3) to five (5) pages in length. You may also include information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments.
PROOF OF BAR MEMBERSHIP: You must provide proof that you are currently an active member in good standing of a Bar of a State, Commonwealth or Territory of the United States or District of Columbia and authorized and eligible to practice law. Judicial status is acceptable in lieu of "active" status in States that prohibit sitting judges from maintaining "active" status to practice law. Being in "good standing" is acceptable in lieu of "active" status in States where the licensing authority considers "good standing" as having a current license to practice law. Below is a list of acceptable documents. To be considered, at least one of the following three documents is required. Any document must include the state and status and be dated within one year of the announcement:
Letter or certificate of good standing (dated within one year of the announcement)
OR a copy of your Bar card with the current year if it reflects a date that is within one year of the announcement
OR a Screen print from a Bar website that reflects your active Bar membership (must include the state and be dated within one year of the announcement)
TRANSCRIPTS: Transcripts are required to substantiate possession of the required and claimed education. Unofficial transcripts (including screen prints from your school's web portal) are acceptable for initial application; however, your transcript must show a degree and conferred/awarded date prior to the closing date of this announcement. Self-prepared transcripts will not be accepted. Official transcripts are required at the time of appointment.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE: This appointment is to an ALJ position in the excepted service, not the competitive service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference in excepted service ALJ appointments; however, SSA considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in excepted service ALJ hiring. In order to receive positive consideration, you must indicate your eligibility, in response to the appropriate item on the vacancy questionnaire. Additionally, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD214 showing the type of discharge and dates of active duty and, if applicable, an SF-15 and VA letter certifying the present existence of the service-connected disability which indicates the percentage of your disability. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's consideration. For more information visit the Vet Guide.
NOTE: Failure to submit the required documents above with your application package will result in your application being removed from consideration.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume documenting at least seven (7) years of relevant litigation or administrative law experience
ALJ Assessment Questionnaire
Proof of Active Bar Membership
Transcripts
Veterans' documents, if applicable
The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (EST) on 10/09/2024.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with completing the application process, please contact ALJ Applicant Mailbox at dchr.ope.cpps.alj.applicant@ssa.gov.
Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories
Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for general inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.
To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account.
DCHO - OCALJ
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
US
Next steps
Once you have successfully submitted your application materials, you can expect to receive a systems-generated email notification confirming receipt of application. If you are among the higher-scoring applicants for the geographic locations under consideration for a particular applicant-review cycle, you will receive an invitation to participate in a structured interview and a request to complete and return additional documents required for the hiring process, including a Personal History Form, Background Questionnaire Consent and Release, Consent for Credit History Check, and Declaration for Federal Employment.
Due to the volume of applications we anticipate, other than the automated systems-generated email, we will not be able to confirm receipt of specific application materials or provide application status updates outside of the status shown on USAJOBS. Please ensure that all required documents are uploaded prior to submitting your application.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Resume documenting at least seven (7) years of relevant litigation or administrative law experience
Veterans' documents, e.g., DD-214 or other substantiating documents, if applicable
Proof of Active Bar Membership
Transcripts
RESUME: You may create a resume in USAJOBS or upload one of your own. Resumes, in lieu of agency-specific Experience and Qualifications Statements or similar, are preferred. Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your resume must include: From/To dates of employment (MM/DD/YYYY-MM/DD/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name; position title; Federal grade level(s) held for each Federal position, if applicable; hours, if less than full time; and duties performed. In addition, any experience on less than a full-time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.
Please provide sufficient details in your resume to enable us to determine if you meet the requirement for qualifying experience (as stated in the Qualifications section). Providing insufficient details in your resume may result in a lower or ineligible rating. To enable us to determine the length of your experience, it is important that you provide the month, day, and year of the starting and ending dates of employment. If you only provide the month and year of a starting date of employment, we will assume the start date is the last day of the month. If you only provide the month and year of an ending date of employment, we will assume the end date is the first day of the month. If you fail to provide the month and date of the starting and ending dates of employment, your starting date will be assumed to have been the last day of that year and your ending date will be assumed to be the first date of the year. When describing the duties performed for each position, be brief and concise, but inclusive in the description of your experience. If you held multiple positions with the same employer, please include the job title, dates, and duties for each position. It is preferred that resumes are no more than three (3) to five (5) pages in length. You may also include information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments.
PROOF OF BAR MEMBERSHIP: You must provide proof that you are currently an active member in good standing of a Bar of a State, Commonwealth or Territory of the United States or District of Columbia and authorized and eligible to practice law. Judicial status is acceptable in lieu of "active" status in States that prohibit sitting judges from maintaining "active" status to practice law. Being in "good standing" is acceptable in lieu of "active" status in States where the licensing authority considers "good standing" as having a current license to practice law. Below is a list of acceptable documents. To be considered, at least one of the following three documents is required. Any document must include the state and status and be dated within one year of the announcement:
Letter or certificate of good standing (dated within one year of the announcement)
OR a copy of your Bar card with the current year if it reflects a date that is within one year of the announcement
OR a Screen print from a Bar website that reflects your active Bar membership (must include the state and be dated within one year of the announcement)
TRANSCRIPTS: Transcripts are required to substantiate possession of the required and claimed education. Unofficial transcripts (including screen prints from your school's web portal) are acceptable for initial application; however, your transcript must show a degree and conferred/awarded date prior to the closing date of this announcement. Self-prepared transcripts will not be accepted. Official transcripts are required at the time of appointment.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE: This appointment is to an ALJ position in the excepted service, not the competitive service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference in excepted service ALJ appointments; however, SSA considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in excepted service ALJ hiring. In order to receive positive consideration, you must indicate your eligibility, in response to the appropriate item on the vacancy questionnaire. Additionally, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD214 showing the type of discharge and dates of active duty and, if applicable, an SF-15 and VA letter certifying the present existence of the service-connected disability which indicates the percentage of your disability. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's consideration. For more information visit the Vet Guide.
NOTE: Failure to submit the required documents above with your application package will result in your application being removed from consideration.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume documenting at least seven (7) years of relevant litigation or administrative law experience
ALJ Assessment Questionnaire
Proof of Active Bar Membership
Transcripts
Veterans' documents, if applicable
The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (EST) on 10/09/2024.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
If you use assistive software or an adaptive device, or you are experiencing some other type of technical difficulty and/or otherwise require assistance with completing the application process, please contact ALJ Applicant Mailbox at dchr.ope.cpps.alj.applicant@ssa.gov.
Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories
Due to our security procedures, our office will not accept any applications submitted via email or standard mail. The email address is listed only for general inquiries about the position or the How to Apply process.
To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log in to your USAJOBS account.
DCHO - OCALJ
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
US
Next steps
Once you have successfully submitted your application materials, you can expect to receive a systems-generated email notification confirming receipt of application. If you are among the higher-scoring applicants for the geographic locations under consideration for a particular applicant-review cycle, you will receive an invitation to participate in a structured interview and a request to complete and return additional documents required for the hiring process, including a Personal History Form, Background Questionnaire Consent and Release, Consent for Credit History Check, and Declaration for Federal Employment.
Due to the volume of applications we anticipate, other than the automated systems-generated email, we will not be able to confirm receipt of specific application materials or provide application status updates outside of the status shown on USAJOBS. Please ensure that all required documents are uploaded prior to submitting your application.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
