My time working as a paralegal came about from a different route than most. I was working in politics and was beginning to feel burned out. As is normal with a campaign, once the election was over I had to look for a new job. I actually enjoyed going to courthouses and searching records for the campaign, so I figured a good move would be to segue into a law firm. The biggest obstacle I encountered was the requirement most firms had that you either have a paralegal certificate or previous experience in a law firm. I had neither and was just about to give up when one law firm was willing to give me a chance.
I became a case manager for a Social Security Disability law firm. My job consisted of interviewing potential clients, one or two a day, and determining if they had a case we could win before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). We took cases based on no fees, we would just get a percentage of their back pay if they were awarded. The typical process involved an initial application for disability benefits, which was usually turned down. Then we had 60 days from the date of the denial letter to file an appeal, called a Request for Reconsideration. This would send that claimant’s file to someone else in the Social Security Administration to review. While this was going on we would constantly keep up with the client by updating medical records and even sending questionnaires for their doctor’s to fill out.
An extremely high rate of files at the Reconsideration stage were returned back also denied. Then we would have another 60 days to file appeal, this time before an ALJ. We always felt being before an actual judge, presenting all the evidence, and with the claimant there to ask questions to and interact with was the best way to win the case.
The biggest problem with waiting for a judge was that the Atlanta area offices faced the biggest backlog in the nation. If you can believe, it was taking two and a half to three years to get a hearing. Keep in mind these people are disabled and unable to work and are not bringing in any income. It was difficult telling them it would be three years for a hearing as they are struggling to stay in their homes, keep their lights on and feed themselves. Some had family, friends or church to help them out. Some did not.
Even after waiting a few months for the judge to issue a decision it would still be another month or so to process the back pay and payments. It was not uncommon for some clients to have a case last four years from beginning to end. I have talked to one of the lawyers I worked with recently and he told me the Atlanta ALJ offices have decreased their wait time dramatically. I worked as a paralegal for five years and found it very fulfilling being able to help people and to see the difference we made in their lives.