If the Administrative Law Judge does not rule in favor of the applicant’s claim, the applicant can appeal the decision. There is a 60 day period to file a Request for Review with the Appeals Council. However, the Appeals Council may decline the request if they decide the outcome of the hearing was correct. If the Appeals Council decides to review your case, they will either do so themselves or return the case to an Administrative Law judge. If the Appeals Council rules against the case, there is a final step for appealing the decision, which is filing a lawsuit in a federal district court. This is an extraordinary step that will take a great deal of time and incur significant legal costs, which is another reason the case presented at the initial hearing should be as strong as possible.