Regina Carpenter, Esq., Former Administrative Law Judge | Social Security Administration

Regina Carpenter is a retired Administrative Law Judge with more than three decades of experience in Social Security law, spanning roles as a paralegal, claimant’s attorney, attorney advisor, senior attorney advisor, and ALJ. She served as an Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration from 2011 through 2025, and spent the final two years of her career as co-lead of SSA’s national judicial training program. Over the last decade of her tenure, she was heavily involved in formally training and mentoring new ALJs, cementing her legacy as one of the agency’s foremost judicial educators.

• Education & Credentials

Regina graduated magna cum laude from Fairmont State University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education. She earned her law degree from West Virginia College of Law in 2001, graduating Order of the Coif — a distinction reserved for the top academic performers in her graduating class. Her academic honors reflect the same rigor and commitment to excellence that defined her subsequent career in Social Security law and judicial service.

• Recognition & Leadership

Regina’s career culminated in a leadership role that few ALJs achieve: co-lead of the Social Security Administration’s national judicial training program, a position she held for the final two years before her retirement in 2025. In this capacity, she helped shape how ALJs across the country are prepared to adjudicate Social Security disability claims — a contribution with lasting institutional impact. Her decade-long involvement in mentoring and formally training new ALJs reflects the trust and recognition she earned from the agency over the course of her distinguished service.

• Professional Involvement

Throughout her career, Regina maintained deep involvement in the Social Security disability community from multiple vantage points. As a claimant’s attorney in private practice, she was a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR). As an ALJ, she dedicated significant time and energy to the formal training and mentoring of new judges, ultimately co-leading SSA’s national judicial training program. Her trajectory — from paralegal to claimant’s rep to SSA attorney advisor to ALJ to national trainer — gives her a uniquely comprehensive perspective on every stage of the Social Security adjudication process.

• Experience

Regina’s involvement in Social Security law spans over three decades, beginning in 1992 as a paralegal managing a disability practice at a small law firm. After earning her law degree in 2001, she practiced as a claimant’s attorney in private practice and was a member of NOSSCR. In 2009, she joined the Social Security Administration as an attorney advisor, quickly advancing to senior attorney advisor before being appointed as an ALJ in 2011 — a role she held until her retirement in 2025. During the last ten years of her judicial career, she was extensively involved in training and mentoring new ALJs, and served as co-lead of SSA’s national judicial training program for two years prior to her retirement. Her career represents one of the most complete trajectories in Social Security law, having served claimants, the agency, and the judiciary with distinction.

I. How to Think Like a Judge | 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Understanding how Administrative Law Judges evaluate disability claims can dramatically improve advocacy outcomes. This program examines how Social Security hearing offices operate and how judges review and analyze case files. Attorneys will learn how ALJs evaluate evidence, identify weaknesses, and structure decisions. The session also explores how representatives can align case preparation with judicial decision-making processes. Participants will gain practical insight into presenting cases in a way that resonates with adjudicators.