Entry and Line Administrative Law Judge

Full Job Description

NOTE: Depending on the caseload, these positions are eligible for either part-time or full-time remote work. When working remotely, the alternate worksite must be located in Washington state.
NOTE: These positions will report to one of the following duty stations: Olympia, Spokane Valley, or Tacoma.
NOTE: This appointment is anticipated to last up to twelve (12) months and may be extended based on budget and business needs.
NOTE: OAH hires incoming ALJs at the following base salary levels:

• Entry ALJ: $100,980 annually (Range 68, Step 2)
• Line ALJ: $108,780 annually (Range 71, Step 2)

The Opportunity:
OAH is currently looking to fill multiple temporary Entry and Line Administrative Law Judge positions for multiple caseloads within multiple divisions. These positions may be eligible for a hybrid telework schedule, depending on caseload-specific operational needs. Some caseloads require periodic in-person hearings, while Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Work Zone Speed Camera (WZSC) caseloads are full-time telework.

Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) are critical to the successful fulfillment of the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) mission. Line ALJs contribute by independently managing an assigned caseload; conducting thorough pre-hearing preparation; presiding over hearings that are fair in both substance and appearance; and issuing well-reasoned, timely decisions that meet established agency timeliness standards.

These positions will preside over hearings for one or more of the following caseloads.

Social and Health Services

Division of Child Support (DCS) - DCS is a program within the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

An ALJ holds a hearing to establish child support or modify an existing administrative child support order. These are typically telephonic hearings with minimal travel required.

A Claims Officer/Attorney represents DCS. The non-custodial or custodial parent files a request for hearing that DCS forwards to OAH.

OAH issues an initial order in Adress Disclosure cases, and a final order in all other DCS matters. All orders are due within 21 days of the close of record.

Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) - DCYF is a cabinet-level agency focused on the well-being of children and supporting families.

ALJs hold hearings on licensing and issues affecting children (i.e. foster care, daycare, childcare assistance, child protective services, etc).

The ALJ will issue an initial order except in vendor overpayments and juvenile cases where the order is final.

DCYF is represented by an Assistant Attorney General and appellants are often represented by counsel.

Typically, orders are due within 60 days from the close of record; however, adoption support orders and vendor overpayment orders are due 16 days from the close of record; background check and childcare assistance orders are due within 55 days from the close of record; and in a juvenile parole revocation cases, the ALJ must rule orally on the record and issue a written decision within 48 hours.

These hearings are typically held by phone or video but parties may request an in-person hearing so some travel is required.

Health Care Authority (HCA) - HCA is a state agency with overall responsibility for providing medical coverage and services.

HCA or its designee determines eligibility for health care coverage, eligibility for medical services, long-term care, and in-home care services, which are funded, in part, through Medicaid.

An ALJ holds hearings to determine an appellant’s eligibility for health care coverage, medical services, financial and functional eligibility for long-term care, in-home care services, participation rates for long-term care, and the amount of in-home care hours.

HCA is represented by an HCA Legal Services Advisor or an administrative hearing specialist through the Department of Social and Health Services or other contracting agency, while appellants are self-represented or represented by a family member most often.

Hearings may be telephonic, by video conference call, or in-person and are typically 60 minutes to three hours long. Some travel may be involved.

HCA orders are initial decisions and are expected to be issued within 18, 30, or 60 days of the close of record or OAH’s receipt of the request for hearing, depending on the program.

Licensing (LIC) - Licensing is a program within the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

ALJs hold a prehearing conference and hearing regarding vulnerable individuals in adult family homes and/or residential homes with issues relating to abuse and neglect by the individual provider or the facility.

The alleged individual and/or facility files the request for appeal with OAH. The Department is represented by a Legal Benefits Attorney/Adviser and Appellants are often represented by counsel.

In most programs, an initial order is issued within 60 days of the close of record; however, resident and client protection program initial orders are due within 120 days of the request for hearing.

A final order is issued in an assisted living facility license case within 60 days of the close of record.

These hearings are typically telephonic or by video, but parties may request an in-person hearing so some travel is required.

Public Assistance (PA) - The PA caseload is administered by the Economic Services Administration (ESA) of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

Nearly one out of every four Washington residents turns to the DSHS ESA for assistance with cash, food, disability determination, transition to employment, and other services known as “benefits” programs.

ALJs hold hearings to make determinations including, but not limited to: general eligibility, overpayments, and the correctness of departmental actions such as reduction, suspension, or termination of benefits.

In PA cases, the department is represented by administrative hearings specialists.

Hearings are scheduled for 60 minutes or more depending on the case type, involvement of interpreter services, and the complexity of the subject matter.

There are a wide variety of PA programs; thus, PA decisions can be either initial or final orders (depending on the applicable regulations).

ALJs are required to issue PA decisions as soon as possible but no later than 16, 30, or 60 days of the close of record, unless an earlier decision is required by regulation.

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
The OSPI caseload includes a number of case types, including special education, student transfer, teacher certification, and food program. The bulk of the work is the special education cases. These cases have significant prehearing work, including discovery and dispositive motions. Hearings may be by video or in person and typically last from two days to more than two weeks. In person hearings take place throughout the state and may require overnight travel. Parties are often represented by attorneys and may call expert witnesses. The hearings are similar to civil trials. Cases often involve multiple issues requiring an ALJ to make many findings of fact, and address numerous legal issues. ALJs may conduct settlement conferences. For student transfer cases, in contrast, there are typically only one prehearing conference, the hearings are by phone, and they rarely last more than two hours. Teacher certification and food program cases may be by video or in person and typically last a few days. All OSPI orders are final.

Unemployment Insurance (UI)
The UI caseload includes hearings on all initial appeals from UI related decisions made by the Employment Security Department (ESD). Appeals may be filed by either a claimant or former employer and are filed through the ESD. ESD transmits those appeals to OAH on a daily basis. The professional staff then schedule hearings, mail Notices of Hearing to the parties, and generally manage the case pre-and-post hearing. ALJs hear the cases (almost exclusively via teleconference) and then write and issue appropriate orders. In the normal course of business ALJs have five business days to produce an order, however in order to meet Department of Labor (DOL) standards, ALJs may be required to produce orders more quickly in cases where a DOL deadline will arrive in less than five business days. Completed orders are then distributed to the relevant parties by the professional staff.

Work Zone Speed Camera (WZSC)
The WZSC caseload is a subset of the Regulatory caseload and consists of appeals from Notices of Infraction (NOI) issued by the Washington State Patrol (WSP). The NOIs are issued as a result of drivers traveling in excess of the posted speed limit in active highway work zones. The appeals are handled in two different manners, dependent upon the nature of the appeal. Petitioners’ requests for payment plans, a reduction in the penalty due to mitigating circumstances, and declarations of nonresponsibility are handled by brief adjudicative proceedings (BAP). BAPs are document review only process, with the option for the ALJ to solicit oral testimony. Petitioners’ challenges to the merits of the infraction, such as, but not limited to, there were no workers or signage present, or the device calibration was incorrect are handled by formal adjudicative proceedings (FAP) in a telephone group docket setting. WSP and the Petitioners present their case before the ALJ at the hearing. ALJs are required to issue their orders within 15 days of the close of record.

About the Agency:
The 1981 Legislature created the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) to offer Washingtonians an independent, fair, and neutral forum to hold administrative hearings on disputed matters referred by state and local government agencies. Operating out of field offices in Olympia, Tacoma, and Spokane Valley there are currently 230 employees, including 120 administrative law judges who preside over administrative hearings involving unemployment insurance benefits, child support, food assistance, medical benefits, business and professional licensing, and more.

OAH conducts hearings for more than 30 agencies and 160 programs. Our referring agencies include the Employment Security Department (ESD), Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Health Care Authority (HCA), Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and others.

For more information about OAH, please visit our website at oah.wa.gov.

OAH Mission: To hear and independently resolve disputes between the public and state agencies with an impartial, quick, and easy to access process.

OAH Vision: All people of Washington can meaningfully participate in their hearing and understand the result.

OAH Values:

• Fairness and independence
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect
• Performance excellence
• Integrity

OAH Goals:

• Performance Excellence: We deliver high quality, timely work.
• Convenience & Accessibility: We make it easy for people to do business with us.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect: We promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect.
• Good Stewards: We are efficient, effective, and accountable.

OAH Offers:

• Work that is important and makes a difference.
• In-house training and professional development opportunities, including CLEs.
• Direct payment to the WSBA for annual bar dues.
• Healthy work/life balance, including remote work.
• Comprehensive state benefits package.

Requirements

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Managing an assigned workload commensurate with level of experience, complexity of cases, and overall agency workload as determined by your supervisor.
• Maintaining a thorough understanding of statutes, regulations, case law, and agency procedures relevant to assigned caseload(s) and keep current on new developments.
• Presiding over and ruling on pre-hearing, hearing, and post-hearing matters in a fair and impartial manner.
• Working with supervisor as necessary to meet assigned caseload timeliness standards and other deadlines, being mindful of time pressures and stressful circumstances related to the job.
• Using agency equipment and technology systems to perform and manage work and communicate with others.
• Making a clear and complete hearing record.
• Making legally sufficient Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law on all contested issues.
• Writing accurate legal documents that clearly set out the analysis used in reaching decisions, using proper grammar, clear language, and “plain talk” when possible.
• Demonstrating judicial demeanor and maintaining control of legal proceedings involving multiple parties.
• Keeping supervisor timely informed of work progress, significant developments, case status, and other issues.
• Following specific work directives of supervisor, as appropriate for the position.
• Maintaining reliable and regular attendance and being readily available to coworkers and others, as appropriate for the position.
• Protecting privileged and confidential information.
• Complying with all office policies, administrative and court rules, state ethics laws, and the OAH Code of Ethics for ALJs.
• Accurately tracking and accounting for case-specific work and non-billable hours.
• Appropriately demonstrating respect, diversity, equity, and inclusion practices with parties, stakeholders, and co-workers.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
•An active or judicial membership in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association*
•Five (5) years of experience working as a licensed attorney** OR one (1) year of full-time experience as an ALJ
•Clear and effective oral and written communication skills, including excellent legal writing skills

*Applicants who meet the other stated qualifications and are actively pursuing admission to the WSBA may also be considered.

**Applicants with at least three (3), but fewer than five (5), years of experience as a licensed attorney may be considered for an Entry Administrative Law Judge position.

Entry ALJs are eligible for promotion to Line ALJ after completing one year of full-time employment in the Entry ALJ role. Salary information for Entry ALJ: Range 68/Annually 98,520 -123,060

Preferred Qualifications:
Preference may be given to candidates with the following experience, skills, and abilities.
•Experience with the subject matter of the caseloads adjudicated by OAH.
•Experience with adjudication, litigation, and or/mediation.

Statewide Equity Competencies:

• Take action to learn and grow: Curious about self and others. Takes responsibility for knowing own strengths and weaknesses. Uses their learning to make government programs and processes more efficient and effective to serve all of Washington.
• Take action to meet the needs of others: Flexible, adaptable, and customer service focused. Willing and able to empathetically respond to the unique needs of the people they work with and serve.

OAH Core Competencies:

Accountability and dependability: Accepts personal responsibility for quality work and actions. Meets productivity standards and timeliness standards.

Produces accurate and timely work with minimal supervision. Uses professional judgment to balance quality of work with ability to meet timeliness standards.

Informs supervisor or appropriate others of problems, identifies issues and offers solutions. Gives and accepts constructive feedback.

Focuses on the situation, issue, or behavior rather than the person. Punctual and regular work attendance with minimal unplanned/unauthorized absences.

Adaptability and flexibility: Adapts to changing business needs, conditions, priorities and work responsibilities. Uses customer feedback and evaluations as a measure of quality, and makes adjustments to reach goals. Uses problem solving and analytical skills to improve processes.

Attention to detail: Diligently attends to details and pursues quality in accomplishing tasks. Performs tasks with care; is thorough. Makes few errors. Checks work to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Compares observations or finished work to what is expected to find inconsistencies. Remains aware and takes care of details that are easy to overlook or dismiss as insignificant.

Communication effectiveness: Effectively receives and conveys ideas and information both verbally and in writing, and exhibits active listening skills.

Participates in meetings in an active, cooperative, and courteous manner. Uses “plain talk” both orally and in writing. Responds timely to email, phone messages, mail, and faxes.

Composes clear, straightforward, and technically correct documents. Chooses the most effective and meaningful written form to express information.

States information as simply as possible and organizes information logically. Proofreads and edits according to accepted rules of English language. Writes effectively for the intended audience.

Ethics and integrity: Earns others’ trust and respect by demonstrating consistent honesty, forthrightness and professionalism in all interactions. Protects privileged and confidential information.

Uses work time, equipment, and resources efficiently and effectively. Follows policies, rules and procedures.

Avoids situations and actions considered inappropriate or which present a conflict of interest. Tells the truth and is honest in all dealings. Follows through on commitments.

Relationship and team building: Builds constructive working relationships that reflect acceptance, cooperation, and mutual regard.

Earns the trust, respect and confidence of co-workers and customers through consistent respectful, professional, transparent interactions.

Promotes cooperation and commitment within a team to achieve goals. Maintains an open, approachable manner, and treats others fairly and respectfully.

Preserves others’ self-confidence and dignity, and shows regard for their opinions and perspectives. Sees the value of cultural, ethnic, gender and other individual differences in people.

Seeks to resolve disagreements constructively and avoids engaging in gossip and rumors.

Self-awareness and commitment to growth: Understands own personal identity and cultural background. Realizes all lived experience are not the same. Explores and identifies own biases.

Understands how own values and biases impact communication, working relationships, and communities served. Examines own perspectives as they relate to own personal and professional growth goals.

ALJ Competencies:

• Active listening: Effectively listens, asks questions, and confirms understanding when receiving information. Listens and responds with empathy.
• Administrative law and procedures: Ability to learn and retain the rules and procedures related to administrative law and assigned caseloads.
• Analytical skills: Identifies key facts in a range of data. Notices when data appears wrong, incomplete, or needs verification. Distinguishes information that is not pertinent to a decision or solution.

Decision making and judgment: Makes timely, logical decisions. Evaluates relevant information and data to make decisions and solve problems.

Prioritizes work assignments and projects to meet OAH standards. Pursues economy and efficiency in the use of resources.

Exercises good judgment in determining issues that should be elevated to management.

Judicial temperament: Is objective and neutral, balances competing interests and effectively manages an administrative hearing and the parties involved, consistent with applicable law, commitment to equal justice under law, freedom from bias.

Decides issues according to law, courtesy and civility, open-mindedness, and compassion.

Knowledge retention: Learns and retains new or changing information and processes regarding caseloads, office procedures, and policies.

Takes initiative to use personalized methods based on own learning style to learn and retain information that has been presented.

Learns, retains and applies Washington Administrative Code (WAC), Revised Code of Washington (RCW), and other rules to OAH procedures and processes.

Ability to learn and retain knowledge of administrative law and procedures.

• Legal research methods: Effectively uses legal resources to find relevant laws, regulations, and cases.
• Legal terms and citations: Understands and correctly uses legal terms, rules, and citation formats.

Proofreading: Reads with comprehension drafted, original, or other written materials and documents that may include citations, rules and regulations, and makes corrections to effectively resolve problems or inaccuracies in punctuation, spelling, and grammar or omitted language.

Accurately discerns intended context of main ideas or essential message of document content.

Stress tolerance: Works in a fast-paced environment and balance competing priorities.

Effectively manages stressful or adverse situations by making good decisions, working calmly, and leading others in effective communication strategies.

Demonstrates tact and diplomacy throughout interactions. Deals with highly stressful situations and emotional parties.

Tact and diplomacy: Responds to difficult, stressful, or sensitive interpersonal situations in ways that reduce or minimize potential conflict and maintains good working relationships among internal and external customers.

Tactfully presents information in an objective and neutral manner. Remains calm, patient, and with self-control when responding to resistance or conflict.

Learns and demonstrates respect for other perspectives. Keeps conversations positive, focusing on options, benefits, and sources of assistance.

• Technology skills: Uses computer and case management system to effectively process assigned cases. Makes a complete hearing record with recording software and devices. Independently produces electronic legal documents. Uses email, telephone, and conference call systems to communicate with others.
• Workload management: Accurately, effectively and independently handles assigned workload. Engages in timely and effective problem solving.

Writing skills: Composes clear, straightforward, and technically correct documents. Chooses the most effective and meaningful written form to express information.

States information as simply as possible and organizes information logically. Proofreads and edits information to improve its clarity, organization, content, etc., according to accepted rules.

Writes at different reading and educational levels by altering words, length of sentences, and depth of explanation.

Additional Information

How to apply:
To begin the online application process, click the green "Apply" button on this announcement on careers.wa.gov or governmentjobs.com. To be considered for this position, you must include the following information in your online application and complete the supplemental questionnaire. Application materials must clearly show how you meet the qualifications for the position in order to be considered.

Application must include:

• An attached letter of interest describing how you meet the qualifications for this position; and,
• An attached detailed chronological resume; and
• A completed online application profile that includes education and employment history; and
• Three professional references, including at least one supervisor, with current contact information.

OAH is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, honorably discharged veteran, veteran status, genetic information, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability.

For questions about this recruitment, or to request reasonable accommodation in the application process, please email us at OAHHR@oah.wa.gov. For TTY service, please call the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.