Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00380/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00380-4/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Commissioner of Social Security
Defendant
Jimmy Rodriguez
Plaintiff

Document Text:

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 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JIMMY RODRIGUEZ, )

)

Plaintiff, )

)

v. )

)

MICHAEL J. ASTRUE, )

Commissioner of Social )

Security, ) 

 )

Defendant. )

 )

1:09-cv-00380-OWW-SMS

INFORMATIONAL ORDER

FOR PRO SE LITIGANT

Plaintiff is proceeding pro se in an action seeking judicial

review of an administrative decision of the Commissioner of

Social Security that denied, in whole or in part, plaintiff’s

claim for benefits under the Social Security Act. 

This order provides the following helpful information, and

basically serves as a step-by-step guide, for pro se litigants.

It is strongly suggested that plaintiff read and re-read this

order and keep it readily available for future reference.

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I. Attempt at Informal Resolution of the Case

Within one hundred twenty (120) days after service of

the complaint (served herein by the United States Marshal on

October 5, 2009 (Doc. 14)), defendant is required to serve a copy

of the administrative record on plaintiff, and also file the

administrative record with the Court, which serves as the answer

to the complaint in this proceeding. The administrative record

was filed herein on February 2, 2010 (Doc. 16).

Once the administrative record has been filed, the

parties must try to resolve the case informally. In this

process, the parties must exchange informal briefs in the form of

letters about the case to see if they can agree that the case

should be sent back, or “remanded,” to the Social Security

Administration for a further hearing by an administrative law

judge.

In the letter brief, plaintiff must briefly set forth

(1) the issues in the case, (2) the reasons why plaintiff thinks

that plaintiff is entitled to Social Security benefits, and (3)

why the decision to deny benefits should be remanded. 

The letter brief must be marked “Confidential Letter

Brief”, should not be filed with the Court, and must be served on

defendant within thirty (30) days from the date defendant served

plaintiff with the administrative record, by mailing copies to

all the attorney(s) listed on the court docket as representing

defendant, Commissioner of Social Security, at the addresses

noted on the court docket, herein as follows:

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Armand D. Roth 

Social Security Administration 

Office of General Counsel 

333 Market Street, Ste 1500 

San Francisco , CA 94105 

415-977-8924 

Fax: 415-744-0134 

Email: Armand.Roth@ssa.gov 

LEAD ATTORNEY

ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED

The name of the attorney(s) representing defendant are

added to the court docket at the time the Court receives

defendant’s response to the complaint which, again, usually

consists of the administrative record. Sometimes the court

docket lists not only an attorney at the office of the General

Counsel of the Social Security Administration in San Francisco,

CA, but also an attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office

in Fresno, CA; in these particular cases, it will then be

necessary for plaintiff to mail copies of the confidential letter

brief to more than one attorney for defendant. 

Defendant’s confidential letter brief must be served on

plaintiff no later than thirty-five (35) days after defendant is

served with plaintiff’s confidential letter brief.

If the parties agree to a remand, then the case will go

back to the Social Security Administration before any formal

briefs are filed with the Court, and without the Court ever

considering the merits of the case. The parties’ agreement to

remand the case must be set forth in writing in a document titled

“Stipulation and Order,” which must be signed and filed with the

Court no later than fifteen (15) days after defendant served its

confidential letter brief on plaintiff. See Local Rule 143(a)(1)

& (b). 

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The informal letter briefs exchanged by the parties are

confidential in the sense that they are not filed with the Court.

If the parties are unable to agree to a remand, the letters are

not part of the case file and, thus, are not before the Court if

and when the Court finally considers the case on the merits.

II. Briefs

If, after exchanging confidential letter briefs, the

parties are unable to agree to a remand of the case, then the

parties must file formal briefs with the Court as directed in the

Scheduling Order. It is only after the formal briefs are filed

with the Court that the Court will consider the merits of the

case and make a decision.

A. Plaintiff’s Opening Brief

Plaintiff’s opening brief must be filed and served

no later than thirty (30) days from the date defendant’s informal

letter brief was served on plaintiff. Plaintiff must serve a

copy of the opening brief on all the attorneys listed for

defendant on the court docket of the case at the addresses noted

on the court docket.

Plaintiff must also file the original opening

brief, together with a copy, with the Court, by either personal

delivery or via U.S. mail to:

Office of the Clerk

United States District Court

Eastern District of California

2500 Tulare Street, Suite 1501

Fresno, CA 93721

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Plaintiff’s opening brief must contain the following:

(1) a plain description of plaintiff’s alleged

physical or emotional impairments, when plaintiff contends they

became disabling, and how they disabled plaintiff from work;

(2) a summary of the administrative proceedings

before the Social Security Administration;

(3) a summary of the relevant testimony at the

administrative hearing; 

(4) a summary of all relevant medical evidence,

including an explanation of the significance of clinical and

laboratory findings, and the purpose and effect of prescribed

medication and therapy;

(5) a recitation of the Social Security

Administration’s findings and conclusions relevant to plaintiff’s

claims;

(6) a short, separate statement of each of

plaintiff’s legal claims stated in terms of the insufficiency of

the evidence to support a particular finding of fact or reliance

on an erroneous legal standard; and,

(7) argument separately addressing each claimed

error.

All references to the administrative record and

all assertions of fact must be accompanied by citations to the

administrative record. Argument in support of each claim of

error must be supported by citation to legal authority and

explanation of the application of such authority to the facts of

the particular case. Briefs that do not substantially comply

with these requirements will be stricken. A document that is

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stricken becomes null and void and is not considered by the Court

for any purpose.

Plaintiff is further advised that failure to

timely file an opening brief will result in dismissal of the

action.

B. Defendant’s Brief

Pursuant to the Scheduling Order, defendant’s

responsive brief is due filed and served on plaintiff within 

thirty (30) days from the date of service of plaintiff’s opening

brief on defendant.

C. Plaintiff’s Reply Brief

Plaintiff may file a reply brief, but is not

required to do so, within fifteen (15) days from the date

defendant served its responsive brief on plaintiff. Plaintiff

must serve a copy of the reply brief on defendant by serving the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California at

the address in Fresno, CA, noted above. Plaintiff must also file

the original reply brief, together with a copy, with the Court at

the Court’s address in Fresno, CA, noted above.

Plaintiff’s reply brief should respond to the

arguments made in defendant’s responsive brief.

III. Motion to Dismiss

In some cases, instead of serving and filing an

administrative record, defendant may file a motion to dismiss the

case pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12., within one hundred twenty

(120) days from the date defendant is served with plaintiff’s

complaint.

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Plaintiff may oppose a motion to dismiss by filing and

serving opposition to the motion within fourteen (14) days from

the date the motion to dismiss was served on plaintiff, and

should be titled “Opposition to Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss.” 

See Local Rule 230(c).

The Court will consider a motion to dismiss only after

receiving opposition from plaintiff, or after the time for filing

opposition has passed. In ruling on a motion to dismiss the case, the

Court may either (1) deny the motion and proceed with the case,

ordering the parties to proceed to file the administrative record,

attempt informal resolution, and file briefs; or, (2) grant the motion

to dismiss, and dismiss all or part of the case.

IV. The Court’s Decision on the Merits

The Court will consider the merits of the case only after

all briefs have been filed, and may enter a judgment affirming,

modifying, or reversing the determination of the Social Security

Administration. The Court may or may not remand the case to the

Social Security Administration for a further hearing.

V. Summary of Deadline Calculations

completed 10/5/09

(Doc. 14)

Service due 20 days after filing

complaint

See Section I. 

(filed 2/2/10

(Doc. 16))

Administrative

Record

due 120 days after service

See Section II. A. Plaintiff’s

Opening Brief

due 95 days after

administrative record lodged

with court

See Section II. B. Defendant’s Brief due 30 days after plaintiff’s

opening brief filed

See Section II. C. Plaintiff’s Reply

Brief - optional

due 15 days after defendant’s

brief filed

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VI. Rules for Litigating the Action

Plaintiff is informed of the following:

A. In litigating this action, the parties must comply

with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Fed.R.Civ.P.), and the

Local Rules of the United States District Court, Eastern District

of California (“Local Rules”). The Local Rules, effective

January 3, 2005, and amended December 1, 2009 (totaling 270

pages), may be found on court’s website at www.caed.uscourts.gov.

Local Rule 206 is a special rule for social

security actions. Specifically (a)(2) generally states that

complaints shall contain the last four digits of plaintiff’s

social security number only, i.e., XXX-XX-1234, and that

plaintiff shall privately disclose to defendant, within five (5)

days after a request is made to plaintiff, the full social

security number of plaintiff.

Therefore, plaintiff shall refrain from disclosing

the entire social security number on any filings.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE LOCAL RULES, FEDERAL

RULES, OR A COURT ORDER, INCLUDING THIS ORDER, WILL BE GROUNDS

FOR DISMISSAL OR OTHER APPROPRIATE SANCTIONS. See Local Rule

110; Fed.R.Civ.P. 41(b).

B. Documents intended to be filed with the Court must

be mailed to the Clerk of the Court in Fresno, CA, at the address

noted above. See Local Rule 134(a). All documents

inappropriately mailed directly to a judge's chambers will be

stricken from the record. A document requesting a court order

must be styled as a motion, not a letter. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 7.

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C. Each document submitted for filing must include

the original signature of the filing party or parties. Local

Rule 131; Fed.R.Civ.P. 11(a). All documents submitted without

the required signature(s) will be stricken. Each separate

document must be separately stapled. See Local Rule 130. If a

document is stapled behind another document, it will not be filed

and will not enter the court docket.

D. All documents filed with the Court must be

submitted with an additional legible copy to be conformed for the

Court's use. See Local Rule 133(d)(2). A document submitted

without an extra copy for the Court's use will be stricken. If

the filing party wishes the Court to return a file-stamped copy,

an additional copy must be provided for that purpose (i.e., an

original and two copies, one for the Court's use and one to be

returned to the filing party), together with a self-addressed,

stamped envelope. The Court cannot provide copy or mailing

service for a party, even for an indigent plaintiff proceeding in

forma pauperis. Copies of documents from the Court’s file may be

obtained in the Clerk’s Office for fifty ($.50) cents per page.

E. After any defendant has appeared in an action by

filing a pleading responsive to the complaint (i.e., an answer or

a motion to dismiss), all documents filed with the Court must

include a proof of service stating that a copy of the document

was served on the opposing party. See 28 U.S.C. § 1746;

F.R.Civ.P. 5; Local Rule 135. A document submitted without the

required proof of service will be stricken. Where a party is

represented by counsel, service on the party's attorney of record

constitutes effective service. 

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F. A pro se party has an affirmative duty to keep the

Court and opposing parties apprised of a current address. If

plaintiff moves and fails to file a notice of change of address,

service of court orders at plaintiff's prior address shall

constitute effective notice. See Local Rule 182(f). If mail

directed to plaintiff is returned by the United States Postal

Service as undeliverable, the Court will not attempt to re-mail

it. If plaintiff’s address is not updated, in writing, within

sixty (60) days of mail being returned, the action will be

dismissed for failure to prosecute. See Local Rule 183(b).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 5, 2010 /s/ Sandra M. Snyder 

icido3 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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