Judicial Profile Hon. Steven L. Carnes Chief Administrative Law Judge, U.S. Social Security Administration by Hon. Alisa Tapia-Zuniga ost people would agree that Chief Administrative Law Judge Steven L. Carnes is multidimensional with a distinguished career in law, politics, and Mmilitary service. A retired Air Force colonel, Judge Carnes continues to pursue justice with the determi- nation he displayed throughout his career. Judge Carnes was raised in the Philadelphia suburbs Hon. Alisa Tapia-Zuni- ga is a freelance writer on both sides of the Delaware River in New Jersey and and an administrative Pennsylvania. He fondly recounts that he “grew up in law judge (ALJ) for the Franklin Field and Veterans Stadium” after his family U.S. Social Security purchased Philadelphia Eagles season tickets in 1960. Administration (SSA) His father worked for General Motors. His mother was in Tallahassee, Fla. Before working for the a schoolteacher. She later obtained a Master of Arts de- SSA, Tapia-Zuniga gree in counseling. A significant influence in his life, his worked for the U.S. mother stressed the importance of a good education. Department of Agricul- Early in life, Judge Carnes knew he would pursue a ca- ture, National Appeals reer in law and dedicate his life to serving our country. Division, adjudicating all Spanish-speaking It was during the Vietnam War in 1969 when Judge headed to St. Petersburg, Fla., to attend Stetson appeals in South Florida Carnes attended Pennsylvania State University ma- University College of Law. Stetson Law was a small and Puerto Rico. She is joring in pre-law and political science. He joined the and quaint branch campus with a picturesque student also a former state ALJ student government and the Air Force Reserve Officer dormitory housed in a former Spanish-style hotel. He for the Illinois Com- Training Corps. He also tried out for the university spent the next three years in “St. Pete”—as locals merce Commission and a former prosecutor at band and made the alto horn rank (saxhorn family). call the beautiful city—and fell in love with Florida. the Livingston County, Judge Carnes found his niche with the Penn State In December 1975, then 1st Lt. Carnes attended the Ill., State Attorney’s band spending his Christmas vacations attending Hillsboro County Republican holiday party. At that Office and a former annual college football games at the Orange Bowl, party, he met a beautiful graduate student from the judicial law clerk to the Cotton Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. University of South Florida named Patricia Gunn. late Judge Charles Mark “Sandy” Middlesworth Carnes and Gunn dated briefly but lost touch after she Jr. of the New Jersey A Taste in Politics relocated to Georgia. Superior Court. © 2019 In 1972, Judge Carnes volunteered at the state Repub- In 1976, Carnes graduated from Stetson Law, Hon. Alisa Tapia-Zuni- lican Party headquarters in Philadelphia and attended and later that year was admitted to the Florida Bar. ga. All rights reserved. the Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, It was also a U.S. presidential election year. Before Fla. The nominees were President Richard Nixon reporting for active duty, he joined the U.S. presi- and Vice President Spiro Agnew for reelection. The dential election campaign for Gerald Ford and Sen. Vietnam War continued to divide the national public Bob Dole as a co-coordinator for southern New opinion. He recalls battling his way into the conven- Jersey. Republican Thomas Kean was the chairman, tion center through the smell of tear gas and crowds and Tony Ciccatello was the executive director. As a of antiwar demonstrators. co-coordinator to Kean, Carnes got to know Repub- In 1973, he graduated from Penn State as a distin- lican David Norcross on the campaign trail. Norcross guished military graduate and was commissioned as was running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent a second lieutenant. After graduation, 2nd Lt. Carnes Democrat Harrison Williams. 22 • THE FEDERAL LAWYER • May/June 2019 In 1977, Carnes was promoted to captain and served Same stakes.” The Miami Dolphins were a sure bet to as an assistant staff judge advocate in the Judge Advo- win Super Bowl XVII. The Washington Redskins, howev- cate General’s Department (JAG) at Charleston, S.C., Air er, defeated the Dolphins to win their first Super Bowl Force Base (AFB). Carnes recalls his time there as “one championship. Defeated but excited, Gunn returned to of my favorite towns in the world. I was a 25-year-old New Jersey. Judge Carnes recalls it as a significant time attorney and a captain in the Air Force. Life was great in his life, “We got engaged that weekend.” A year later, for four years.” As a JAG officer, Capt. Carnes performed the now-married couple had their first child. duties as a courts-martial prosecutor and trial defense counsel. He represented airmen facing a variation of A Second Serving of Politics non-judicial and judicial punishments. But while sta- In 1986, Gov. Kean took the oath of office at a second tioned at Charleston, Carnes always wondered, whatever inauguration. In turn, Capt. Carnes began planning his happened to Patricia Gunn? future beyond the next three years. In New Jersey, the In 1981, Carnes separated from active duty but re- governor appoints state judges with the advice and mained in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and was stationed consent of the State Senate. Attorney General W. Cary at McGuire AFB in New Jersey. While at McGuire, he Edwards interceded on Carnes behalf with the governor. was admitted to the New Jersey Bar and selected as an Carnes was also well-regarded by the Senate and the outstanding reserve Judge Advocate of the Year for Air Senate judiciary committee, and he was appointed as a Mobility Command—one of the highest-level commands. New Jersey administrative law judge (ALJ) for the next During that year, Carnes again crossed paths with eight years. He presided over a variety of cases from Norcross, who was now a prominent attorney at a pres- multiple agencies. During that year, Carnes received tigious law firm and the chairperson of the New Jersey recognition as the Military Airlift Command Outstanding Republican Party. He learned from Norcross that every Reserve Judge Advocate of the Year. In 1987, Carnes 10 years there is a congressional and legislative reap- was promoted to major. A year later, Maj. Carnes was portionment and that Norcross needed staff members at appointed as a U.S. military judge traveling throughout the commission. Carnes agreed to practice law part-time the southeast United States presiding over military at the law offices of Dickey & Thomas and to work part- courts-martial. time as a staff member at the reappointment commis- In 1994, Carnes was promoted to lieutenant colonel. sion. It was a gubernatorial election year in New Jersey, He was also appointed as an ALJ for the Social Security and Kean was running for governor. As Carnes describes Administration’s Office of Disability Adjudication and it, “On election night, you are supposed to have either Review (ODAR) presiding over disability hearings. Four a celebration or a wake. On this night, we had neither.” years later, Lt. Col. Carnes received recognition as the It was a statewide election with 7 million voters; yet the Air Force Legal Services Agency Outstanding Reserve margin of victory was 1,000 votes. It was determined that Judge Advocate of the Year. votes were missing and a recount was ordered. It was an In 1999, after the breakup of Yugoslavia, Carnes was extremely close election. selected to serve as a legal adviser at the North Atlantic In 1982, Kean was sworn-in as the 48th governor of Treaty Organization (NATO) in Bosnia and Herzegovi- New Jersey. Carnes was appointed as assistant counsel na—a war zone—for the Office of the High Represen- to Gov. Kean, advising him on various legal matters. For tative. He worked with lawyers and judges from various five years, Carnes worked closely with the legislature European countries. Judge Carnes recounts, “We were and appeared on behalf of Gov. Kean before state Senate building local and state entities, reestablishing govern- and General Assembly committees. He also advised Gov. ments, and trying to make sure their laws conformed Kean on legislative and administrative policy matters. to European standards.” He explains that they worked Two years later, Carnes served as deputy general counsel through the European Commission and the Council of to the Republican National Convention in Dallas. Venice to bring Bosnia back into the European commu- Late in 1982, Carnes took a trip to Florida to visit a nity. Carnes met with representatives from the European friend. While waiting for a connecting flight, he called Union, the deputy attorney general of Germany, and the Patricia Gunn’s parents, and as fate would have it, she president of the Italian courts. His primary duty was to answered. While catching up on their respective lives, write the initial draft of the Bosnian Criminal Procedure they made a bet. Penn State was playing the University Code. By the time Carnes rotated out of Bosnia, he had of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl for the National Champion- successfully drafted the criminal procedure code. Judge ship. If Penn State won, Gunn would fly to New Jersey Carnes describes his experience as “a life-changing for the weekend. If Georgia won, Carnes would fly to event.” While serving in Bosnia, Carnes rose to the high- Florida. Penn State won and two weeks later, Gunn flew est field grade officer rank of colonel. to New Jersey. They drove to Atlantic City and wined, In 2004, during the second Gulf War, Col.