Lead Administrative Law Judge

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is seeking to fill one (1) temporary Lead Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) position in the Public Assistance and Health Division. This position may report to the Olympia, Tacoma or Spokane OAH facilities and are eligible for part-time telework, as there are some in-person hearings. If teleworking, the alternate worksite must be in Washington state. OAH’s mission is to hear and independently resolve disputes between the public and state agencies with an impartial, quick, and easy to access process. The position of Lead Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) is critical to the successful completion of this mission. A Lead ALJ contributes to the mission by filling in for the Division Chief ALJ and Senior ALJs as needed, serving as a subject matter expert on the assigned caseloads; supporting agency-wide initiatives; mentoring, training and coaching ALJs, and providing feedback on ALJ performance. The Lead ALJ also manages a caseload, completes prehearing work, conducts hearings that are fair in substance and appearance, and issues well-reasoned decisions within the agency’s timeliness standards. The Lead ALJ assists the Division Chief ALJ and Senior ALJs to ensure that the assigned caseload meets federal and agency performance measures. This position presides over hearings for the following caseloads: Division of Child Support (DCS), Division of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Health Care Authority (HCA), Licensing (LIC), and Public Assistance (PA).

Requirements

Active or judicial membership in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association
Minimum of five (5) years of experience as a licensed attorney OR one (1) year as an entry or line ALJ.

Nice To Haves

Expertise in an assigned caseload with the ability to train, mentor, and educate others on the caseload.
Adjudication experience.
Litigation experience.
Mediation experience.
Experience in project management which includes creating project plans including goals, timelines, constraints, risks, which include all affected parties, and identifying outcomes and assignments.
Effectively organizes multiple assignments of a complex nature or involving competing priorities to produce work products that are accurate, thorough, and timely.

Responsibilities

Serve as Subject Matter Expert (SME) on assigned caseload(s).
Mentor and coach ALJs assigned to the assigned caseload(s).
Complete tasks delegated by the Division Chief ALJ and Senior ALJs to assist in the management and daily operation of the assigned caseload(s).
Make recommendations for process improvements and trainings.
Serve as a resource for OAH committees, workgroups, and project team(s) as assigned.
Foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture of innovation, trust, and respect that welcomes feedback and collaboration, both within the assigned division and between all other OAH offices and business units.
Make recommendations to division and caseload management and carry out management decisions.
Manage an assigned workload commensurate with level of experience, complexity of cases, and overall agency workload as determined by your supervisor.
Maintain a thorough understanding of statutes, regulations, case law, and agency procedures relevant to assigned caseload(s) and keep current on new developments.
Preside over and rule on pre-hearing, hearing, and post-hearing matters.
Work 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.
Use agency equipment and technology systems to perform and manage work and communicate with others.
Make a clear and complete hearing record.
Make legally sufficient Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law on all contested issues.
Write accurate legal documents that clearly set out the analysis used in reaching decisions, use proper grammar, clear language, and “plain talk” when possible.
Demonstrate judicial demeanor and maintain control of legal proceedings involving multiple parties.
Keep supervisor(s) timely informed of work progress, significant developments, case status, and other issues.
Follow specific work directives of supervisor(s), as appropriate for the position.
Maintain reliable and regular attendance and be readily available to coworkers and others, as appropriate for the position.
Protect privileged and confidential information.
Comply with all office policies, administrative and court rules, state ethics laws, and the OAH Code of Ethics for ALJs.
Accurately track and account for case-specific work and non-billable hours.
Appropriately demonstrates respect, diversity, equity and inclusion practices with parties, stakeholders and co-workers.