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Social Security Disability Hearings - What is the ALJIf you have made it as far as the hearings level of the Social Security disability process, then an administrative law judge will be the one to determine if you are considered disabled under the rules and guidelines of the Social Security Administration. What is an administrative law judge? An ALJ is comparable to a trial judge; consequently they can take oaths, hear testimony, and make decisions regarding an individual’s entitlement to disability, whether from the social security disability or SSI disability program. The administrative law judge does this through reviewing your disability case file, questioning you about your disability (in other words, your mental or physical impairments), and examining the evidence your representative presents during the hearing. Now, many individuals who have been to a social security disability hearing complain that they were not treated well by an administrative law judge or that the ALJ was not fair to them. However the fact remains that disability judges make far more approvals on cases than occurs at the lower levels of the system. This is because each administrative law judge has the power to give the benefit of the doubt to the disabled individual. They are not bound by the rigid set of rules put forth by Congress in the Social Security listing book. Perhaps this is the reason that more than fifty percent of all previously denied Social Security disability claims are later approved at the administrative law judge hearing level. Although a disability judge's decision can be based on the evidence in your disability file alone, it is still advisable for you to attend your hearing. Why is it advisable to attend your hearing? Because this is the only time a decision making individual from the Social Security administration will ever see you in person, which makes it more difficult to perceive you as just an anonymous pile of medical records. For more information on: Social Security Disability and SSI Disability.
A few words about Elder Law 
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