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a n d p r o c e d u r a l h is to ryo f th is c a s e , w e w ill d is c u s s th e m o n lya s n e c e s s a ryto e x p la in o u rd e c is io n . W e h a v e ju r is d ic tio n u n d e r2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . F ir s t, G u n d e r s o n a r g u e s th a t th e a d m in is tr a tiv e la w ju d g e ( A L J ) f a ile d to pr ope r l ya dhe r e t o the pr oc e dur e s a nd appl ythe “ s pe c i a l t e c hni que ” s e tf orth i n 20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 15 20 a. T he “ spec i al t ec hn i qu e” i s use d b y “ adj ud i ca t ors t o ass es s an i nd i vi du al ’ s l i m i t at i on s and re stri ct i on s f rom a m ent al i m pai rm ent [] i n cat egori es i dent i fi ed i n the ‘ para graph B ’ and ‘ para graph C ’ cr i t er i a of the adul tm ent al d is o r d e r s lis tin g s .” S S R 9 6 - 8 p , 1 9 9 6 W L 3 7 4 1 8 4 , a t * 4 ; s e e al s o 2 0 C .F .R . p t. 404, s ubpt . P , app. 1, § 12. 00 et se q . T he “ s pe c i a l t e c hni que ” r e qui r e s the a d ju d ic a to rto d e te rm in e w h e th e rth e c la im a n t h a s “am e d ic a llyd e te rm in ab le m ent al i m pai rm ent [] , ” 20 C . F . R . § 4 04 . 15 20 a( b)(1), and i f s o, t o “ ra t e the degree of funct i on al l i m i t at i on re sul t i ng fr om the i m pai rm ent [] ” i n fou r s peci fi c f un ct i on al a r e a s — a c t i vi t i e s of

da i l yl i vi ng; s oc i a l f

unc t i oni ng; c onc e ntr a t i on, pe r s i s t e nc e , or p a c e ; a n d e p is o d e s o f

d e c o m p e n s a tio n , id . § 404. 1520a ( b) ( 2) , ( c ) . F urthe r , the a d ju d ic a to rm u s t d o c u m e n t th e ap p lic a tio n o f th e s p e c ia l te c h n iq u e in th e d e c is io n . T he r e gul a t i ons e xpl i c i t l ypr ovi de tha tthe a dj udi c a t or ’ s de c i s i on “ m u s t i ncl ud e a s pe c i f i c f i ndi ng a s t o the de gr e e of l i m i t a t i on i n e ac h of the [f ou r] funct i on al ar ea s. ” Id . § 4 04 . 15 20 a( e) (2) ( em ph as i s a dd ed).A l though G ut i errezde a l tw i th the pr i orve r s i on of s e c t i on 404. 1520a , the 1 c u rr e n t v e r s io n , a lth o u g h d if f e r e n t, im p o s e s s im ila ro b lig a tio n s o n th e A L J .

3 I n G ut i errez v . Apf

el , w e he l d tha t“ w he r e the r e i s ac ol or abl e c l a i m of m e nt a l i m pa i rm e nt , ” f

a i l ur e t o a dhe r e t o s e c t i on 404. 1520a“ r e qui r e s r e m a nd t o the S o c ia l S e c u r ityA d m in is tr a tio n .” 1 9 9 F .3 d 1 0 4 8 , 1 0 5 1 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 0 ) . I n th is 1 c a s e , G u n d e r s o n r a is e d a“c o lo r ab le c la im ” o f m e n ta l im p a irm e n t. T h e A L Jh e r s e lf foun d atst ep tw o thatG un ders on ’ s anx i ety di sorderqu al i fi ed as a s ever e m ent al i m pa i rm e nt . T he A L J , how e ve r , f a i l e d t o m a ke as pe c i f

i c f i ndi ng a s t o e a c h of

the funct i on al ar ea s, as re qu i re d u nd erse ct i on 40 4. 15 20 a. A s f or the fi rs tthree f unc t i ona l a r e a s , the A L Jm e r e l ys t a t e d tha tG unde r s on di d notha ve a ny“ m a rke d” l i m i t at i on s. B utthe re gu l at i on s r equi re d the A L J t o i dent i fyand record w here G un ders on ’ s l i m i t at i on s e xact l y f el l al on g the fol l ow i ng fi ve-poi ntsc al e— no ne, m i l d, m ode r a t e , m a rke d, a nd e xtr e m e — f ore a c h of

thos e f unc t i ona l a r e a s . 20 C .F .R . § 4 0 4 .1 5 2 0 a ( c ) ( 4 ) . W e ack n o w l ed g e th ati n cert ai n ci rcu m st an ces, th e fai l u re t o ex p l i ci t l y u se the spec i al t ec hn i qu e m ayconst i tut e harm l es s e rr or. In thi s c as e, ho w ever , af t er havi ng re vi ew ed the re cord and the t ot al i ty of the A L J’ s f i nd i ng s, i ti s notcl ear w h eth erth e A L J w o u ldh av e a rr iv ed at th e s am e c o n clu sio n re g ar d in g G u n d er so n ’s r e s i dua l f

unc t i ona l c apa c i ty( R F C ) t o pe r f orm w ork ha d the A L Ja dhe r e d t o theAto r a l a r g u me n t , c o u n s e l f o rGu n d e r s o n c o n c e d e d th a te v e n i f th e ALJ 2 f u llyc o m p lie s w ith s e c tio n 4 0 4 .1 5 2 0 a , G u n d e r s o n c a n n o t p r e v a il a t s te p th r e e . T he r e f or e , upon r e m a nd, the A L Ji s r e qui r e d t o pe r f orm the s pe c i a l t e c hni que sol el y f or the pu rpose of the A L J’ s anal ys i s a tst eps f ou r and fi ve. 4 r e qui r e m e nt s of

s e c t i on 404. 1520a . A c c or di ngl y , w e r e m a nd thi s m a tt e rs o the A L J c an m ake s peci fi c f i nd i ng s a s t o the degree of G un ders on ’ s l i m i t at i on s i n eac h o f th e p a r a g r ap h B f

u n c tio n a l a r e a s a s r e q u ir e d b ys e c tio n 4 0 4 .1 5 2 0 aa n d to p ro ceed w i th th e rem ai n d er o f th e fi v e-st ep seq u en t i al an al ysi s i n l i g h to f th o se fi n d i n g s. 2 S ec on d, G un ders on ar gu es thatthe A L J c om m i tt ed a l egal error by f i nd i ng at st ep tw o thatG un ders on ’ s anx i ety di sorderand h epat i t i s w er e “ se vere ” and then f a i l i ng t o i nc orpor a t e the l i m i t a t i ons r e s ul t i ng f r om thos e i m pa i rm e nt s i nt o the A L J ’ s f i na l c ons truc t i on of

G unde r s on’ s R F C a ts t e ps f oura nd f i ve . G unde r s on f a ils to ap p r e c ia te th a t “th e s te p - tw o in q u iryis ad e m in im is s c r e e n in g d e v ic e to di spose of groun dl es s c l ai m s. ” Sm ol en v. Cha ter , 80 F . 3d 12 73 , 12 90 (9th C i r. 1996) . “ T he s t e p tw o a nd s t e p f i ve de t e rm i na t i ons r e qui r e di f f e r e ntl e ve l s of s e v e r i ty o f

l i m i t a t i o n s s u c h th a tth e s a t i s f a c t i o n o f th e r e q u i r e m e n t s a ts t e p two doe s notaut om a t i c a l l yl e a d t o the c onc l us i on tha tthe c l a i m a ntha s s a t i s f i e d the re qu i re m ent s a tst ep fi ve. ” H oopaiv . A s tr ue , 49 9 F . 3d 10 71 , 10 76 (9th C i r. 20 07 ). N e ve rthe l e s s , the A L Ji s notr e qui r e d, a s am a tt e rof l a w , t o i nc l ude a l l the5

l i m i t a t i ons f

r om the i m pa i rm e nt s the A L Jde e m s t o be s e ve r e a ts t e p tw o i n the A L J’ s f i nal R F C anal ys i s. A s are sul t , i n thi s c as e, the A L J di d n otcom m i ta l egal e rr orbyom i tt i ng f

unc t i ona l l i m i t a t i ons r e l a t e d t o G unde r s on’ s a nxi e tya nd he pa t i t i s f

r om the R F C s i m pl ybe c aus e s he de t e rm i ne d the yw e r e s e ve r e f or p u rp o s e s o f

s te p tw o . Se e B r a

yv . C o m m ’ ro

f So c . Se c . A dm in . , 554 F . 3d 1219, 1 2 2 8 - 2 9 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 9 ) ( r e je c tin g th e p e titio n e r ’s a r g u m e n t th a t th e A L Jf a ile d to a c c ountf orhe rm e nt a l di s or de r , w hi c h the A L Jha d f ound t o be s e ve r e a ts t e p tw o, i n the fi nal construct i on of her R F C , and n ot i ng the l ac k o f “ autho ri ty t o sup po rt the pr opos i t i on tha tas e ve r e m e nt a l i m pa i rm e ntm us tc orr e s pond t o l i m i t a t i ons on a c l ai m ant ’ s abi l i ty t o p er form basi c w ork act i vi t i es ”) . U po n rem and, af t er com pl yi ng w i th sec t i on 40 4. 15 20 a, the A L J m ayfi nd i tnece ss ary t o revi se her p r io rR F C e v a lu a tio n to r e f le c t a n ylim ita tio n s f

r o m G u n d e r s o n ’s a n x ie tyd is o r d e r . B u t th a t is f

o rth e A L Jto d e c id e o n r e m a n d . T hi rd, G un ders on ar gu es thatthe A L J e rr ed by fa i l i ng t o p roperl y c on si der the m e di c a l opi ni ons of D r . W i l l i a m T rue bl ood. H ow e ve r , D r . T rue bl ood c o n d u c t e d ap s y c h o l o g i c a l e v a l u a t i o n o f Gu n d e r s o n i n De c e m b e r1 9 9 8 , n e a r l ytwo ye ar s bef ore the al l eged on se tdat e of G un ders on ’ s di sabi l i t i es . B ec ause “ [m ] edi ca l o p in io n s th a t p r e d a te th e a lle g e d o n s e t o f d is ab ilitya r e o f

lim ite d r e le v a n c e ,” Ca rm ic kle v . C o m m ’ r, So c . Se c . A dm in . , 533 F . 3d 1155, 1165 ( 9th C i r . 2008) , the6

A L Jdi d note rri n a c c or di ng l e s s w e i ghtt o the opi ni ons of D r . T rue bl ood. See B urkhart v. B ow en , 856 F . 2d 1335, 1340 n. 1 ( 9th C i r . 1988) ( c onc l udi ng tha tthe A LJc o rr e c t l yr e

j e c t e d me d i c a l e v i d e n c e b e c au s e i tp r e d a t e d th e r e l e v a n tt i me peri od ). F in a lly , G u n d e r s o n a r g u e s th a t th e A L Je rr e d b yn o t c o n s id e r in g h is i n d i v i d u a l r e a c t i o n s t o th e d e ma n d s o f w o rk - r e l a t e d s tr e s s i n a c c o r d a n c e w i th SSR 8 5 - 1 5 . T h is c o u rt h a s h e ld th a t “S S R 8 5 - 1 5 p r o v id e s g u id a n c e o n lyf o rc a s e s in w hi ch the cl ai m antas se rt s ‘ sol el y non exert i on al i m pai rm ent s. ’ ” R ob er t s v . Sh a la la , 6 6 F . 3 d 1 7 9 , 1 8 3 (9 th C i r. 1 9 9 5 ) (q u o t i n g S S R 8 5 -1 5 ). B ecau se G u n d e r s o n a s s e rts th a t h is im p a irm e n ts in c lu d e th e e x e rtio n a l im a irm e n t o f c h r o n ic b a c kp a in , S S R 8 5 - 1 5 d o e s n o t ap p ly . See San dg athe v. Cha ter , 108 F . 3d 978, 980- 81 ( 9th C i r . 1997) ( hol di ng S S R 85- 15 w a s i nappl i c abl e be c aus e the c l a i m a nt had exert i on al and n on exert i on al i m pai rm ent s) . E a c h s id e to b e a rits o w n c o s ts o n ap p e a l. AF F I RME D I N P AR T , RE V E RS E D I N P AR T , V AC AT E D, AN D R EM A N D ED W I TH I N STR U C TI O N S.