JOSEPH A. FORTIN v. COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY - Articles

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JOSEPH A. FORTIN v. COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 12, 2024

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Mahesha P. Subbaraman, SUBBARAMAN PLLC, Minneapolis, Minnesota, for Appellant.

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: Anna M. Stapleton, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C., for Appellee.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Mahesha P. Subbaraman, SUBBARAMAN PLLC, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ryan T. Kaiser, Jason M. Turkish, NYMAN TURKISH PC, Southfield, Michigan, for Appellant.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Anna M. Stapleton, Joshua M. Salzman, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C., for Appellee.

Judge(s): GRIFFIN, Circuit Judge

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan at Detroit

In Lucia v. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Supreme Court held that administrative law judges are inferior officers of the United States who must be appointed as prescribed by the Appointments Clause. 585 U.S. 237, 251 (2018). Then-Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Nancy Berryhill responded to Lucia by ratifying and approving as her own the prior appointments of the Administration’s ALJs. One of the ALJs covered by that order denied plaintiff Joseph Fortin’s claim for benefits. Fortin asserts Berryhill’s actions were invalid and therefore the ALJ lacked the authority to deny his claim, but he does not otherwise take issue with the merits of the ALJ’s decision. The district court rejected Fortin’s arguments and granted summary judgment in favor of the Commissioner of Social Security. We affirm.

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