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Administrative Law Judge

The ALJ Hearing: In General

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Hearings in front of an ALJ are conducted in a manner similar to a court trial with some major differences. Some hearings may be scheduled via video-conferencing if the judge assigned to the hearing is at a distant site.

  • The hearings are fairly informal. The only people likely to be there are the judge, a secretary operating a recorder for transcribing the proceedings, you (the claimant), your attorney, if you have one, and anyone else you have brought to testify. In some cases, the Administrative Law Judge has a medical doctor or vocational expert present to testify at the hearing. These people are supposed to give their objective opinion, but more than likely they will side with Social Security's denial.
  • There are likely to be witnesses. You will have a chance to examine them.
  • The ALJ will also likely examine you.
  • You are given the opportunity to present evidence of changes in your medical condition since the date of your application.
  • There are no jurors or spectators at the hearing.
  • There is no attorney at the hearing representing Social Security trying to get the judge to deny the disability claim.
  • Some judges wear robes. Others don't.
  • There may be a medical expert -- who generally only examines the records, and not you. There also may be a vocational expert to testify about what work you can do, including what you can be trained to do.

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