ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE

Primary Responsibilities

• Preside over administrative hearings and adjudications involving state laws, agency regulations, and public disputes.
• Ensure fair and impartial proceedings by maintaining order, managing testimony, and ruling on evidentiary matters.
• Review case files, pleadings, and legal briefs, ensuring that parties have an equal opportunity to present evidence and arguments.
• Evaluate legal issues, apply statutes, regulations, and judicial precedents, and issue rulings in accordance with Arkansas law.
• Conduct comprehensive legal research to support rulings and determinations.
• Prepare written decisions, orders, and recommendations that are clear, legally sound, and well-reasoned.
• Provide guidance and recommendations on procedural rule changes to state agencies.
• Ensure adherence to state ethics laws, public transparency requirements, and judicial conduct standards.
• Explain legal procedures, rules of evidence, and hearing protocols to non-attorney participants.
• Conduct mediations, settlement conferences, or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings, when applicable.

Knowledge and Skills

• Extensive knowledge of Arkansas administrative law, agency regulations, and constitutional principles.
• Proficiency in statutory interpretation, legal research, and drafting judicial opinions.
• Strong understanding of evidence rules, hearing procedures, and appellate processes.
• Experience in government law, regulatory enforcement, or administrative litigation.
• Excellent legal writing skills for rulings, decisions, and procedural guidance; clear oral communication for hearings and stakeholder discussions.
• Ability to mediate disputes, facilitate settlements, and de-escalate confrontations in high-stakes cases.
• Ability to prioritize caseloads, manage multiple hearings, and meet deadlines for decisions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must possess a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school, plus five years of experience in conducting administrative law hearings.