Bohland

MEMORANDUM **

Sherry Bohland filed her application for supplemental security income in 1995 based on severe depression and extreme pain in her arms and joints. In 1996, her depression was diagnosed by her treating psychiatrist as stemming from an adjust-, ment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood and post traumatic stress disorder, chronic, delayed onset. In 1997, the pain in her joints was diagnosed as resulting from fibromyalgia — a connective tissue disorder of chronic, severe pain and chronic fatigue. The administrative law judge (“ALJ”) rejected Bohland’s claim for disability benefits because he found credible neither Bohland’s nor her physicians’ testimony about the severity of her symptoms.

In order to reject the uncontradicted conclusions of a treating physician, and of a claimant’s testimony about the severity of symptoms from medically diagnosed medical conditions, the ALJ must provide clear and convincing reasons^-the highest standard of justification in Social Security cases. Moore v. Comm’r of SSA, 278 F.3d 920, 924 (9th Cir.2002); Vertigan v. Halter, 260 F.3d 1044, 1049 (9th Cir.2001); Lester v. Chater, 81 F.3d 821, 830 (9th Cir.1995). The ALJ did not…