New ALJs In Wichita

From the Hays Daily News of Kansas:

The number of administrative law judges in the Wichita Office of Disability Adjudication and Review increased from five to seven in April when two new administrative law judges were added as part of a Social Security Administration initiative to hire 175 additional judges this fiscal year, according to Melvin Werner, chief administrative law judge in the Wichita hearing office.

The new judges, Alison K. Brookins and Michael A. Lehr, will conduct hearings and make decisions on appeals involving retirement, survivors, disability and Supplemental Security Income cases from the Social Security offices in Hays, Wichita, Hutchinson, Manhattan, Independence, Emporia, Salina and Dodge City, according to Judge Werner.

"I am very pleased to have two new judges of their legal experience and backgrounds join us here in Wichita," he said. "This is good news for disability claimants and others who file appeals with Social Security."

Judge Alison K. Brookins received her law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1985. She was in private practice until 1991, when she joined the Wichita Hearing Office as an adviser.

Judge Michael A. Lehr received his law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law, Kansas City, Mo., in 1993. Prior to joining Social Security as an assistant regional counsel in Kansas City in 1997, Lehr worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Kansas City, Kan.