Taking the Bench: An Interactive, Online Course for New Administrative Law Judges

Tuition

600

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Days & Times

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Weekly web conference: Fridays at 10 a.m. Alaska / 11 a.m. Pacific / 12 p.m. Mountain / 1 p.m. Central / 2 p.m. Eastern

Course Location

Online

Course Fees

Tuition

$600

Online

January 13, 2025 to February 14, 2025

NJC designed this online course to provide education to ALJs who have been recently appointed or hired.

The course is four weeks in length. Administrative law judges spend an average of six to eight hours per week on assignments, and to complete the course, participants are required to attend a weekly one-hour web conference. Between weeks two and three, the NJC gives the participants a week off to take a break or to catch up on their assignments.

Tuition

Course $600

What will I learn?

During this course, you will learn to:

  • Address issues that ALJs face in transitioning from the bar to the ALJ bench;
  • Describe what new ALJs can expect to experience in their hearings;
  • Identify how ALJs can prepare for their hearings outside of the hearing room; and
  • Recognize ethical issues that ALJs commonly face in their work.

As newly elected or appointed ALJs, the participants will likely have many questions about transitioning from their current jobs to their new roles. Week one focuses on what it means to be an ALJ. Further, it addresses the ethical requirements in transitioning from the bar to the ALJ bench. Week two focuses on what new ALJs can expect to experience in their hearing rooms. Week three concentrates on what judges do in their offices that even trial lawyers wouldn’t necessarily be aware of. Week four addresses what ALJs should (and should not) do ethically in both their professional and personal lives.

Who should attend?
ALJs who have been recently appointed or hired.

Who are the members of the faculty?
Faculty are highly experienced judges and experts who bring a wealth of personal experience to their teaching. 2021 faculty includes Judge Jennifer Gee (Ret.) (CA); Judge Melissa Jones (DC); Judge Daniel Jurkowitz (Ret.) (AZ); and Judge Jack Weil (PA).

How is this course taught?
Discussion assignments, writing assignments, readings, video, comprehension checks, and weekly live webinars with faculty ensure this course is highly interactive, demanding, and educational. NJC anticipates that ALJs will spend between six and eight hours on lessons per week, with a total of four weeks of instruction (week three is a break week). On Friday of each week of the course, the faculty will deliver a live hour-long web conference.

Whom should I contact for more information?
For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (800) 255-8343 or registrar@judges.org.

This webinar is open to judges and court personnel.

Register Now.

The course is four weeks in length. Administrative law judges spend an average of six to eight hours per week on assignments, and to complete the course, participants are required to attend a weekly one-hour web conference. Between weeks two and three, the NJC gives the participants a week off to take a break or to catch up on their assignments.

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