Pilot Program To Allow Representatives To Appear At Video Hearings Using Their Own Video Equipment

Social Security has published a notice in the Federal Register that it "is now preparing to pilot a program wherein private representatives and their clients may appear at ALJ hearings using privately owned video equipment." This would dramatically simplify matters for Binder and Binder and others who seek to represent Social Security claimants on a national basis. No one has or is likely to have a truly national network of attorneys or other representatives who can easily appear at Social Security hearings anywhere in the country. Currently such firms must fly in attorneys for many hearings at considerable cost. Allowing the attorneys to participate via their own video equipment would be much cheaper. It would allow law firms who wish to represent Social Security claimants nationally to do so without ever having face to face contact with most of their clients.