UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER RE: )
MOTIONS TO STAY IN ) Administrative Order
SOCIAL SECURITY CASES ) No. 13-085
____________________________________)
The Fiscal Year of the federal government began October 1, 2013, without a funding
vehicle enacted into law. This requires agencies of the federal government to limit operations to
matters deemed essential under applicable law, and to shutdown other operations until a funding
vehicle is in place. To comply with these requirements, the Department of Justice and the Social
Security Administration have decided to furlough attorneys that were working on social security
appeals pending in this Court. Attorneys on furlough status are prohibited by law from working on
matters assigned to them.
In light of this, the United States Attorney has already moved in a number of social
security cases in this Court for a stay of proceedings. This Court has determined that the present
partial government shutdown provides good cause for a temporary stay of all pending social security
cases, and that entry of a single Administrative Order on this issue will serve the interests of judicial
economy. The court therefore enters this Administrative Order, which applies to all pending social
security cases in which the briefing schedule has not yet been completed. Accordingly:
IT IS ORDERED that all proceedings in any social security case pending before this
Court, in which the briefing schedule has not yet been completed, are hereby STAYED until sixty
(60) days from the date of this Order. Following expiration of the stay, Magistrate Judges of this
Court may set new briefing deadlines, and make all necessary scheduling adjustments in particular
cases. The Clerk need not file a copy of this order in any individual case.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that any party may seek relief from this temporary stay
for good cause shown in a particular case, and the Magistrate Judges of this Court are authorized to
decide such requests.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Court reserves to itself the power to cancel or
to extend the stay by further Administrative Order.
FOR THE COURT:
Dated: October 3, 2013 __________________________________________
Paul L. Maloney
Chief Judge
