Patrick J. Walsh
Judge Walsh no longer hears cases. This profile is preserved as a historical record of how they ruled.
How Judge Walsh decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
On Social Security appeals (sitting by consent) Walsh reverses and remands where the ALJ silently rejects a treating physician's opinion without legally sufficient reasons, holding under Orn and Carmickle that an ALJ may not do so; he treats contrary language in Thomas v. Barnhart as dicta.
“Because the Agency's decision that Plaintiff was not disabled is not supported by substantial evidence, the decision is reversed and the case is remanded for further proceedings.”
Cautions
He affirms the Commissioner where the ALJ's adverse credibility finding is specific, clear, and convincing -- for example where a claimant who testified she could not sit long flew several hours abroad and spent time on the beach -- showing the deference side of his substantial-evidence review.
“For the reasons discussed below, the Agency's decision is affirmed.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Because the Agency's decision that Plaintiff was not disabled is not supported by substantial evidence, the decision is reversed and the case is remanded for further proceedings.”
“Because the Agency's decision that Plaintiff was not disabled within the meaning of the Social Security Act is not supported by substantial evidence, it is reversed and the case is remanded.”
“the Court concludes that the ALJ erred in his treatment of the mental health evidence and remands for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
“For the reasons discussed below, the Agency's decision is affirmed.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Median time from filing to termination across ten sampled consent dockets is about 509 days (roughly 17 months); Social Security appeals cluster around 16-20 months while the wage-and-hour case ran ~28 months. Durations are computed from the docket filing and termination dates, not from any motion timing.
A historical record
Judge Walsh no longer hears cases. This profile stays available as a record of how they ruled. If you're preparing for a matter, start from the court's current bench.