GAO Makes Recommendations on ALJ Hiring and Management
March 11, 2010
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a study of the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) hiring and management of Administrative Law Judges (ALJs). GAO-10-14, entitled “RESULTS-ORIENTED CULTURES – Office of Personnel Management Should Review Administrative Law Judge Program to Improve Hiring and Performance Management,” can be found at www.gao.gov. Read More

ODAR Delays Continue to Shrink
March 11, 2010
Recent editions of the Disability Law News have reported on ODAR (Office of Disability Adjudication and Review) average processing times from hearing request to decision. Statistics for the month ending December 25, 2009, are listed below. Read More

SSA ALJ Data Goes Pulbic
March 11, 2010
Prior editions of this newsletter have reported on Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) statistics that have been obtained by various news organizations under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Advocates have pored over the statistics, usually confirming their own anecdotal asessments of various ALJ approval and denial rates. Now the Social Security Administration (SSA) itself is publishing this information. Read More

SSA Issues Migraine Guidance
March 11, 2010
The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently addressed some of these issues in response to questions posed by adjudicators. Read More

DSM Revisions Proposed
March 11, 2010
The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - or DSM - is slated for some major revisions to psychiatric diagnoses when the fifth edition is published in 2013 (DSM 5). Read More