N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT SANDR A L. M ILLER , Plaintiff - Appe lla nt, v. C AR OLYN W . C OLVIN, C om m issione r of Soc ia l Se c urity , De fe nda

nt - Appe lle e . No. 13-35870 D.C . No. 2:11-c v-00225-R HW M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Ea ste rn Distric t of W a shington R obe rt H. W

ha le y , Se nior Distric t Judge , Pre s iding Subm itte d July 21, 2014 ** B e fore : HUG, FAR

RIS, and C ANB Y, C irc uit Judge s. Sandra L. M ille r a

ppe a ls thedistric t c ourt’ s sum m ary judgm e nt a ffirm ing the C om m issione r of Soc ia l Se c urity ’ s de c ision de ny ing he r a p plic at ion for disa bility insura nc e be n e fits unde r Title II of the Soc ia l Se c urity Ac t. M ille r 

# FIL ED AUG 25 2014 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S
. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3. ** Appe lla

nt’ s unoppose d m otion for subm ission on the

brie fs without ora l argum e nt is gra

nte d. The pa

ne l una nim ously c o nc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora

l a rgum e nt. Se eFe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2).c onte nds tha t the ALJ fa ile d to prope rly c onside r the opinions of te stify i ng m e dic a l e xpe rt R e ube n B e e z y , M .D., a nd of Nurse Pra c titioner B la z e B urnham tha t M ille r would belim ite d to se d e nta ry or le ss tha

n se d e nta ry work. M ille r a lso c o nte nds that the ALJ fa ile d to m e e t

he r burde n to fully and fa irly de ve lop there c o rd, whe re M ille r re pre se nte d he rse lf at the he aring. W e hav e jurisdic tion under 28 U.S.C . § 1291, a nd we a ffirm . W e re vie w the distric t c ourt’ s orde r de novo. Molina v . Astrue , 674 F.3d 1104, 1110 (9th C ir. 2012). W e m ay se t a side the de nia l of be ne fits only if it is not supporte d by substa

ntia l e vide nc e or is ba se d on le ga l e rror. Id. M ille r’ s c onte ntion tha

t the ALJ e rre d in finding tha t she wa s c a

pa ble of light work a

nd in disc ounting Dr. B e e z y ’ s opinion tha t she wa s limite d to se de nta ry work la c ks m e rit. TheALJ re a s ona bly found tha

t Dr. B e e z y

did not give a we ll-supporte d ba sis for his opinion a nd tha t it wa s not supporte d by the m e dic a l e vide nc e of re c ord, inc luding thec o nflic ting opinion of tre at ing Adva n c e d R e giste re d Nurse Pra c titioner Pa ddy C a rlson a nd a n e le c trodia gnostic (“ EM G” ) study c onduc te d on De c e m

be r 27, 2002, which indic ate d tha t M i lle r ha d

only ve ry m ild c a rpa l tunne l sy

n drom e on theright. Se eThomas v . Barnhart , 278 F.3d 947, 956-57 (9th C ir. 2002).

2M ille r’ s c onte ntion tha t the ALJ fa ile d to prope rly c o nside r and a fford suffic i e nt we i ght to tre at ing Adva nc e d R e giste re d Nurse Pra c titioner B la z e B urnha m ’ s opinion tha

t M ille r would belim i te d to se de nta ry work or lowe r a lso la c ks m e rit. TheALJ’ s c onc lusion tha t the m ore re stric tive R

FC finding wa s unjustifie d ba se d upon there c ord wa s a suffic ie nt re a son for disc ounting B urnha m ’ s opinion. S

e eMolina, 674 F.3d a

t 1111. M ille r c onte n ds tha t the ALJ fa ile d to provide a de quat e re a sons for re je c ting B urnha

m ’ s opinion, be c a

use the ALJ found tha

t the re wa s no re a son to c ha n g e M ille r’ s re sidua l func tiona l c a pa c ity a sse ssm e nt de spite ne w inform ation from the 2002 EM G study . This c onte ntion la c ks m e rit be c a

use the ALJ provide d a

ge rm ane re a son for re

je c ting B urnha

m ’ s opinion, e xpla ining tha

t the ne w EM G findings indic ate d only ve ry m ild right c arpa l tunne l sy

ndrom e . Se eid . The ALJ fulfille d

he r duty to fa irly and fully de ve lop there c ord a

nd to e nsure tha

t M ille r’ s inte re sts we re c onside re d whe re she wa s unre pre se nte d at the he aring. Se eTonape t

y an v . Halte r , 242 F.3d 1144, 1150 (9th C i r. 2001). AFFIRM E D.

3