Many Social Security Disability applicants are well aware of the role of an administrative law judge when it comes to a Social Security Disability claim. The administrative law judges that are employed by the Social Security Administration are the professionals who are in charge of overseeing the hearings for those who have filed a Social Security Disability appeal. However, not many applicants understand what a Chief Administrative Law Judge does or what this person is responsible for.
A Chief Administrative Law Judge, also referred to as a CALJ, is responsible for maintaining the communications between the Associate Chief Administrative Law Judges, the Deputy Commissioner, the Regional Chief Administrative Law Judges and the Administrative Law Judges. The Chief Administrative Law Judge is also in charge of creating and implementing policies and objectives and creates the protocol of programs for the administrative law judges who oversee the disability cases for those who are pursuing Social Security Disability claims.
When a Social Security Disability applicant must undergo a disability hearing, it is the Chief Administrative Law Judge that is responsible for ensuring that all of the processes and functions that are related to the claim are in place and are adhered to by the administrative law judges who oversee these cases.
When new policies are put into place, the Chief Administrative Law Judge manages a staff that is in charge of implementing these policies and informing all administrative law judges and ODAR offices of the policies that have been made effective. This ensures that all administrative law judges and all Social Security ODAR offices are working according to the same policies and procedures and that one office’s policies do not vary from the next.
