Plain-English summary
Court: Disability claimants need not raise Appointments Clause objections before the agency
The Court held that people applying for Social Security disability benefits do not have to raise Appointments Clause challenges before the agency’s administrative law judge (ALJ) to preserve that challenge for federal court review. The judgment below was reversed and the cases remanded.
Why this matters
The ruling affects who gets to challenge the constitutionality of the officials deciding their benefits claims. It makes it easier for disabled claimants to bring constitutional challenges in federal court without having to know or raise complex constitutional objections during the agency hearing. The decision also clarifies the limits of administrative exhaustion requirements when constitutional claims are involved.
Who may feel it
- People applying for Social Security disability benefits (claimants)
- Attorneys who represent disability claimants
- Social Security Administration and its administrative law judges (ALJs)
- Federal courts that review agency decisions
Key questions
- Must Social Security disability claimants raise Appointments Clause (constitutional) objections to the ALJ’s appointment before the agency in order to preserve those objections for federal court review?