Jody Kaufmann v. Kilolo Kijakazi

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

JODY KAUFMANN, No. 21-35344 Plaintiff-Appellant, D.C. No. v. 3:19-cv-05952-

DWC

KILOLO KIJAKAZI, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant-Appellee. OPINION

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington David W. Christel, Magistrate Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted March 11, 2022 Portland, Oregon

Filed April 27, 2022

Before: Susan P. Graber, Carlos T. Bea, and Milan D. Smith, Jr., Circuit Judges.

Opinion by Judge Graber SUMMARY *

Social Security

The panel affirmed the district court’s amended judgment in favor of the Commissioner of Social Security, who had denied claimant’s request for Social Security benefits.

Claimant’s initial claim for disability benefits was denied by an administrative law judge (“ALJ”) in October 2018 while Nancy Berryhill was the Acting Commissioner of Social Security. In July 2019, the Appeals Council denied claimant’s appeal while Andrew Saul was Commissioner of Social Security. Claimant then filed this action, and the district court issued an…