Administrative Law Judge (Licensing and Benefits)

Summary

These positions are located in Disability Adjudication, Hearings Hubs nationwide. The incumbent is subordinate to and accountable to the direction and supervision of the Commissioner of Social Security. 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. The incumbent is responsible for managing a policy compliant docket in a high volume caseload environment.

Duties

• Under agency regulations that implement Titles II, VIII, and XVI of the Act, the incumbent holds hearings and issues timely and legally sufficient decisions in a high volume caseload environment 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.
• 20) Exercise effective docket management including schedule cases for hearing; hear and decide cases in a high volume environment; timely move cases toward dispositions; and issue timely, decisive, and legally defensible dispositions.

Qualifications

Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered. Visit the 'Required Documents' section below for more information. Licensure: Applicants must be licensed and authorized 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, including any period on the standing register of eligibles. 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 trial 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 in which a formal procedure was initiated by a governmental administrative body and includes: participating in settlement negotiations in advance of hearing cases; preparing for hearing and/or trial of cases; 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 JD. 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.

How to apply

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. Per OPM's new resume guidance, resumes must be limited to 2 pages only. ALJ Assessment Questionnaire Verification of active bar membership (see 'Required Documents' for more information) Transcripts Veterans Documentation (if applicable) The complete Application Package must be submitted before midnight (EST) on 09/11/2026. 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 the application process, please contact ALJ Applicant Mailbox at [email protected] or 4109650000. 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 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.