Anonymous
Post 01/28/2016 15:55     Subject: Re:GS-9 Attorney?
I find it hard to believe that you know multiple people who worked that particular job (not attorney SSA jobs in general - different horse) and jumped to better jobs in the future. I'm sure this has happened, but I certainly wouldn't bank on it.


Ok, you are free to believe what you want. Doesn't make a difference to me either way.
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2016 15:48     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't recall ever posting this story, and I certainly don't think I have done so "fairly regularly."

Also, I can guarantee that you did not hold the position I am talking about and lateral to the US Atty's office. Again, I am not trashing the SSA or its lawyers. This particular job is a dead end. Again, there is NO WAY IN HELL that you went from cutting and pasting ALJ decisions in a job that a paralegal could do and which tops out at a GS-12 salary (for a reason) to being an AUSA. This is particularly true if you work in DC, which is one of the most competitive markets for AUSAs (most of whom have the HYS/COA clerkship/biglaw pedigree).


I have to ditto this. Unless it was a tiny USAO in a middle of no where location with very little case work, no one has jumped from SSA to the DC or VA USAO. I worked at one and competition for those jobs was insane. Most needed some combination of a presitgious DOJ job or job at another high level USAO, Big Law, Supreme Court clerking, clerking with a district court or Appeals judge in those districts, an Ivy League or UVA degree or an inside hook to get you in the door. And you could not just have one of those things - you needed more than one.

Some USAOs have dedicated attorneys to handle the glut of Social Security appeals. They probably do that. I sincerely doubt they're a regular AUSA.


For the most part, you are correct about DOJ hiring. However, I know a handful of exceptions to this rule.
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2016 14:28     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't recall ever posting this story, and I certainly don't think I have done so "fairly regularly."

Also, I can guarantee that you did not hold the position I am talking about and lateral to the US Atty's office. Again, I am not trashing the SSA or its lawyers. This particular job is a dead end. Again, there is NO WAY IN HELL that you went from cutting and pasting ALJ decisions in a job that a paralegal could do and which tops out at a GS-12 salary (for a reason) to being an AUSA. This is particularly true if you work in DC, which is one of the most competitive markets for AUSAs (most of whom have the HYS/COA clerkship/biglaw pedigree).


I have to ditto this. Unless it was a tiny USAO in a middle of no where location with very little case work, no one has jumped from SSA to the DC or VA USAO. I worked at one and competition for those jobs was insane. Most needed some combination of a presitgious DOJ job or job at another high level USAO, Big Law, Supreme Court clerking, clerking with a district court or Appeals judge in those districts, an Ivy League or UVA degree or an inside hook to get you in the door. And you could not just have one of those things - you needed more than one.

Some USAOs have dedicated attorneys to handle the glut of Social Security appeals. They probably do that. I sincerely doubt they're a regular AUSA.
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2016 13:37     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?
Anonymous wrote:I don't recall ever posting this story, and I certainly don't think I have done so "fairly regularly."

Also, I can guarantee that you did not hold the position I am talking about and lateral to the US Atty's office. Again, I am not trashing the SSA or its lawyers. This particular job is a dead end. Again, there is NO WAY IN HELL that you went from cutting and pasting ALJ decisions in a job that a paralegal could do and which tops out at a GS-12 salary (for a reason) to being an AUSA. This is particularly true if you work in DC, which is one of the most competitive markets for AUSAs (most of whom have the HYS/COA clerkship/biglaw pedigree).


I have to ditto this. Unless it was a tiny USAO in a middle of no where location with very little case work, no one has jumped from SSA to the DC or VA USAO. I worked at one and competition for those jobs was insane. Most needed some combination of a presitgious DOJ job or job at another high level USAO, Big Law, Supreme Court clerking, clerking with a district court or Appeals judge in those districts, an Ivy League or UVA degree or an inside hook to get you in the door. And you could not just have one of those things - you needed more than one.
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2016 08:58     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?
I don't recall ever posting this story, and I certainly don't think I have done so "fairly regularly."

Also, I can guarantee that you did not hold the position I am talking about and lateral to the US Atty's office. Again, I am not trashing the SSA or its lawyers. This particular job is a dead end. Again, there is NO WAY IN HELL that you went from cutting and pasting ALJ decisions in a job that a paralegal could do and which tops out at a GS-12 salary (for a reason) to being an AUSA. This is particularly true if you work in DC, which is one of the most competitive markets for AUSAs (most of whom have the HYS/COA clerkship/biglaw pedigree).
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 17:29     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?


not always. I was offered the dreaded SSA "decision writer" job referred to by a pp. I accepted initially but turned it down in favor of a job working for a sole practitioner. Based on what I've heard about the job in years since, I made the right decision. That job doesn't even require JD skills, much less a bar admission, but those are prerequisites. The pay tops out at a GS-12, and you work for two-year stints (which always get renewed unless you are a real screw up, but still you don't get that coveted job security). The job apparently entails cutting and pasting slop into ALJ decisions. No way you could parlay that into another gig elsewhere, unless you wanted to leave govt and work in shitlaw doing SSA appeals work.

People told me I was nuts at the time, because many solos are lowlives and will mistreat you, but that wasn't the case. He paid me well and I got great experience. He unfortunately had to lay me off, but I wound up in biglaw. If I wanted to work for the feds now, I have a much better shot than I would have trying to transfer from that SSA shitjob to another agency.

In MOST cases, it probably makes sense to take whatever you can just to get your foot in the door as a fed, but not always.



You post this story fairly regularly. Lots of assumptions and nastiness for someone who never worked there.

-former ssa atty now a us attorney
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 15:58     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing only for VA.


Should I pass?

Pass. If it's a VA disability job, it will be mind-numbing and a black spot on your resume. You will not have an easier time transferring to another agency, because people know what that job really is.


BS. It's a foot in


take anything else you can find.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 15:48     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?
Call me negative if you want, but that SSA gig is a dead end. I find it hard to believe that you know multiple people who worked that particular job (not attorney SSA jobs in general - different horse) and jumped to better jobs in the future. I'm sure this has happened, but I certainly wouldn't bank on it.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 15:42     Subject: Re:GS-9 Attorney?
not always. I was offered the dreaded SSA "decision writer" job referred to by a pp. I accepted initially but turned it down in favor of a job working for a sole practitioner. Based on what I've heard about the job in years since, I made the right decision. That job doesn't even require JD skills, much less a bar admission, but those are prerequisites. The pay tops out at a GS-12, and you work for two-year stints (which always get renewed unless you are a real screw up, but still you don't get that coveted job security). The job apparently entails cutting and pasting slop into ALJ decisions. No way you could parlay that into another gig elsewhere, unless you wanted to leave govt and work in shitlaw doing SSA appeals work.

People told me I was nuts at the time, because many solos are lowlives and will mistreat you, but that wasn't the case. He paid me well and I got great experience. He unfortunately had to lay me off, but I wound up in biglaw. If I wanted to work for the feds now, I have a much better shot than I would have trying to transfer from that SSA shitjob to another agency.


Wow, you have a really negative attitude. I'm not saying you should have taken the job, or that it is a great job, but that's a really nasty way to talk about a job that you didn't even experience personally. I agree that the SSA positions are not easily transferrable or interesting, but I do know a few people who have moved from there into stints at the VA, and then on to other government agencies.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 15:34     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing only for VA.


Should I pass?


You take what you can get to get a foot in the governments golden door.


not always. I was offered the dreaded SSA "decision writer" job referred to by a pp. I accepted initially but turned it down in favor of a job working for a sole practitioner. Based on what I've heard about the job in years since, I made the right decision. That job doesn't even require JD skills, much less a bar admission, but those are prerequisites. The pay tops out at a GS-12, and you work for two-year stints (which always get renewed unless you are a real screw up, but still you don't get that coveted job security). The job apparently entails cutting and pasting slop into ALJ decisions. No way you could parlay that into another gig elsewhere, unless you wanted to leave govt and work in shitlaw doing SSA appeals work.

People told me I was nuts at the time, because many solos are lowlives and will mistreat you, but that wasn't the case. He paid me well and I got great experience. He unfortunately had to lay me off, but I wound up in biglaw. If I wanted to work for the feds now, I have a much better shot than I would have trying to transfer from that SSA shitjob to another agency.

In MOST cases, it probably makes sense to take whatever you can just to get your foot in the door as a fed, but not always.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 14:19     Subject: Re:GS-9 Attorney?
Why is a disabity job such a black mark? I'm just curious.
It doesn't help you learn skills that are easily transferable to other legal positions.
This. Plus it may not even be the practice of law. One agency has paralegals doing the same job as the disability attorneys. They work the same cases, sit in the same cubicles, and have the same internal title. Their job duties are 100% identical.

This is not the case at VA. The work may be niche, but it's certainly substantive.




I used to work at VA. I agree that the work is definitely attorney work and could not be done by paralegals. However, although it may be substantive it becomes fairly repetitive once you learn the area of law. It wasn't a bad job, I just didn't find it interesting enough for the long term.

May I ask what you are up to now? For example, did you stay in government or move to the private sector?


I stayed in the government but moved to another agency and practice area.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 13:47     Subject: Re:GS-9 Attorney?
Anonymous wrote:
Why is a disabity job such a black mark? I'm just curious.
It doesn't help you learn skills that are easily transferable to other legal positions.
This. Plus it may not even be the practice of law. One agency has paralegals doing the same job as the disability attorneys. They work the same cases, sit in the same cubicles, and have the same internal title. Their job duties are 100% identical.

This is not the case at VA. The work may be niche, but it's certainly substantive.




I used to work at VA. I agree that the work is definitely attorney work and could not be done by paralegals. However, although it may be substantive it becomes fairly repetitive once you learn the area of law. It wasn't a bad job, I just didn't find it interesting enough for the long term.


May I ask what you are up to now? For example, did you stay in government or move to the private sector?
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 13:33     Subject: GS-9 Attorney?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing only for VA.


Should I pass?

Pass. If it's a VA disability job, it will be mind-numbing and a black spot on your resume. You will not have an easier time transferring to another agency, because people know what that job really is.


Damn. My DW was relocated to DC and I've been looking for quite a while. This was the first to bite. Hesitant to pass it up, unless it make it impossible to move on.


If it makes you feel any better, my DH was in the same exact boat. Tried forever to get a federal job after passing the bar and no takers. He finally landed a GS9 job which he took in the hopes that he can use it as a foot in the door and will be able to move up quickly (or quicker than a regular entry level person) but we'll see. He is happy with the work and his co-workers, though, and a job is a job after a certain point.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 13:22     Subject: Re:GS-9 Attorney?
Why is a disabity job such a black mark? I'm just curious.
It doesn't help you learn skills that are easily transferable to other legal positions.
This. Plus it may not even be the practice of law. One agency has paralegals doing the same job as the disability attorneys. They work the same cases, sit in the same cubicles, and have the same internal title. Their job duties are 100% identical.

This is not the case at VA. The work may be niche, but it's certainly substantive.




I used to work at VA. I agree that the work is definitely attorney work and could not be done by paralegals. However, although it may be substantive it becomes fairly repetitive once you learn the area of law. It wasn't a bad job, I just didn't find it interesting enough for the long term.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 12:56     Subject: Re:GS-9 Attorney?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Why is a disabity job such a black mark? I'm just curious.

It doesn't help you learn skills that are easily transferable to other legal positions.

This. Plus it may not even be the practice of law. One agency has paralegals doing the same job as the disability attorneys. They work the same cases, sit in the same cubicles, and have the same internal title. Their job duties are 100% identical.


This is not the case at VA. The work may be niche, but it's certainly substantive.