The hearing

• Author: Thomas E. Bush
• Pages: 803-952

3-1

CHAPTER 3

THE HEARING

§300 THE ALJ HEARING

§300.1 Chart: Administrative Law Judge Approvals 2010-2021

§301 Prehearing Orders

§302 Hearing Issues

§302.1 Hearing Issues in Court Remand Cases

§303 Before the Hearing

§304 Hearing Procedure

§304.1 ALJ’s Opening Statement

§304.2 Video Hearings

§304.3 Telephone Testimony by Expert Witnesses

§304.4 Persons Present in the Hearing Room

§304.5 Making Your Own Recording of the Hearing

§304.6 Objections to ALJ’s Questions

§305 Objections to Exhibits

§305.1 Unsigned “Reports of Contact” With Physicians

§305.2 Denial of Right to Cross-Examine Authors of Adverse Medical Reports

§305.3 Consultative Physician Reports

§306 Claimant Representative’s Opening Statement

§307 Order of Testimony

§308 Claimant’s Experts

§309 Burden of Proof

§310 CLAIMANT’S TESTIMONY

§311 Background, Age, Education and Vocational Training

§312 Work Experience

§313 Medical History

§314 Current Treatment

§315 Physical Symptoms

§315.1 Pain

§315.2 Shortness of Breath

§315.3 Fatigue

§316 Mental Symptoms

§316.1 Use DSM-5 as an Outline for Questioning

§316.2 Stress

§317 Mental Residual Functional Capacity

§318 Physical Residual Functional Capacity

§318.1 Sitting

§318.2 Alternate Sitting, Standing and Walking

THE HEARING

Social Security Disability Practice 3-2

§318.3 Standing

§318.4 Walking

§318.5 Lifting and Carrying

§318.6 Postural Limitations

§318.7 Manipulative Limitations

§318.8 Traveling

§318.9 Good Days/Bad Days

§319 Daily Activities

§319.1 Background and General Description

§319.2 Activities of Daily Living

§319.3 Social Functioning and Leisure Activities

§319.4 Personal Care

§319.5 Examples of Limited Activities

§320 LAY WITNESSES

§321 Limit the Number of Witnesses

§322 Screen Witnesses and Pick the Best

§323 Prepare Witnesses But Do Not Rehearse Testimony

§324 Seek Testimony From Observation; Avoid Conclusory Testimony

§325 Corroborative Testimony

§326 Before and After Testimony

§327 Anecdotal Testimony

§327.1 Seizures

§327.2 Breathing Impairment

§327.3 Pain

§328 Interference with Work

§328.1 Coworker Testimony

§328.2 Company Disability

§330 THE GOVERNMENT’S MEDICAL EXPERT

§331 Purpose of Medical Expert Testimony

§332 Order of Testimony

§333 Objections to the ME Testifying

§334 Meeting the Listings

§335 Equaling the Listings

§336 ME Testimony About the Claimant’s Impairment-Related Limitations or Restrictions

§337 Form: ALJ’s Interrogatory to ME in Mental Impairment Case

§340 THE GOVERNMENT’S VOCATIONAL EXPERT

§341 Vocational Issues

§342 Proper ALJ Questions to VE

§343 Improper ALJ Questions to VE

§344 Improper VE Testimony

§344.1 Americans With Disabilities Act—Associate Commissioner’s Memorandum

§345 Prepare Your Own Hypothetical Questions for the VE

§346 Use of Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)

§346.1 Physical Exertion Levels

§346.2 DOT Specif‌ic Vocational Preparation and Skill Level

§346.3 Example of the Use of the DOT: Nurse Assistant

§346.4 Pages From DOT

§346.5 Example of the Use of Materials That Supplement the DOT: Surveillance-System Monitor

§346.5.1 Sample Vocational Expert Report Re: Surveillance System Monitor

§346.6 The DOT and Sedentary Work

THE HEARING

3-3 The Hearing

§346.7 Some Popular Jobs That Are Not Sedentary Unskilled Jobs in the DOT

§346.8 Use of the DOT in Cross-Examining a Vocational Expert

§346.9 Submit a Rebuttal Opinion

§347 Past Relevant Work

§347.1 Make Sure the Prior Job Really Was Relevant Work

§347.1.1 Relevant Work Period

§347.2 The Functional Demands and Job Duties of the Occupation as Generally Required by

Employers Throughout the National Economy

§347.3 When a VE Testif‌ies That a Claimant Can Do A Former Job as the Claimant Performed It

§347.4 A Past Job Need Not Exist

§348 Using the Grids as a Framework for Decision-Making

§348.1 Erosion of the Occupational Base

§348.1.1 Chart: Analysis of the Light Occupational Base

§348.1.2 Chart: Unskilled Light Occupations—Manipulative Limitations

§348.2 Basic Rules for Using the Medical-Vocational Guidelines as a

Framework for Evaluating Cases Involving Exertional Impairments

§348.3 Using the Medical-Vocational Guidelines for Evaluating

Impairments of Claimants Under Age 50

§348.4 The RFC of Alternate Sitting and Standing

§348.5 Using the Medical-Vocational Guidelines as a Framework for

Evaluating Solely Nonexertional Impairments

§348.6 Court Decisions on Framework Analysis

§348.7 Questions to the Vocational Expert Laying a Foundation for

Argument Concerning Using the Grids as a Framework

§348.8 Questions for Vocational Expert About Numbers of Sedentary

Unskilled Jobs Within Claimant’s RFC

§348.9 Questions for the Vocational Expert About the RFC for Alternate Sitting and Standing

§349 Transferable Skills

§349.1 Def‌inition of Skill

§349.2 No Skills Develop From Unskilled Work Nor May Skills Be Transferred to Unskilled Work

§349.3 Skills vs. Traits

§349.4 Skills Acquired vs. Skills Transferable

§349.5 Determining Transferability

§349.6 Different Standards of Transferability for Different Ages

§349.7 Examples of Jobs Discussed in SSR 82-41

§349.8 A Signif‌icant Range of Work

§349.9 Questions for the Vocational Expert About Transferable Skills

§349.10 Nine Stages of Transferability of Work Skills Analysis

§350 CONCLUDING THE HEARING AND CLOSING THE RECORD

§351 Closing Argument by Claimant’s Representative

§352 ALJ’s Closing Statement

§353 Post-Hearing Development

§354 Close the Record

§355 Consultative Exam Ordered by ALJ

§356 Post-Hearing Interrogatories to Medical or Vocational Expert

§357 Proffer to Attorney

§358 Right to Cross-Examine Authors of Adverse Post-Hearing Reports

§359 Rebuttal Evidence and Argument

§360 ALJ DECISION AND AFTER

§361 Bench Decision

§362 Writing a Favorable Decision at the Request of the ALJ

THE HEARING