Social Security Ends its Controversial Secret Judge Policy

For roughly the past year, Social Security has refused to provide claimants and attorneys with the name of the judge assigned to a case before the hearing date. The Social Security Administration alleged that this policy was instituted because several high-volume, “big box” representative agencies were withdrawing from cases involving more conservative judges.

Many attorneys criticized this “Secret Judge” Policy. It prevented attorneys from tailoring their cases to the particular judge assigned to a case. More importantly, at McCroskey Law, the policy prevented us from giving our clients good information about what to expect during their hearing. Since each judge runs his or her hearing differently, we could only provide a general explanation of how a hearing is held.

Happily, under significant pressure from attorney and representative groups, the Social Security Administration has ended the “Secret Judge” Policy. As of April 20, 2013, the Administration will again tell claimants and attorneys the name of their judge.

At McCroskey Law, we think it is important that clients receive personalized attention and advice. With the ending of the “Secret Judge” Policy, we can now provide even more detail and guidance to our clients. We can also provide even better representation, since we can tailor each case to the precise expectations of your judge.

At McCroskey Law, we do not see our clients simply as a number or case file. Our clients are our neighbors, and we pride ourselves in providing personalized service to them. If you have been denied Social Security disability, SSI, or Child SSI benefits, contact McCroskey Law today. We would be happy to speak with you, assess your case, and guide you through the confusing and complicated process of a Social Security appeal.