Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers operate outside the courts— they work for government agencies, on issues such as determining eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits or verifying a case of employment discrimination. Judges and hearing officers work for state, local, and federal governments. Hours are full-time, sometimes with evening and weekend hours and on-call duty for emergencies. Although a few positions require only a bachelor’s degree, a law degree, license, and years of work experience as a lawyer are typically required for judges or hearing officers. Some positions are elected. Others are appointed for terms lasting from four years to life.
Judges research and apply laws to resolve disputes between parties, reach judgments, and oversee the legal process in courts. They conduct pretrial hearings, resolve administrative disputes, and issue legal decisions. Judges and hearing officers are employed by the federal government or by local and state governments and mostly work full time and in courts.
