Taking the Bench: An Interactive, Online Course for New Administrative Law Judges
Tuition
600
Days & Times
to
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
As newly elected or appointed administrative adjudicators, 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 administrative law judge or hearing officer. It also addresses the ethical requirements of transitioning from the bar to the administrative bench. Week two focuses on what a new administrative adjudicator 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 administrative adjudicators should (and should not) do ethically in both their professional and personal lives.
The course is four weeks in length. Participants spend an average of six to eight hours per week on assignments, and to complete the course, they must attend a weekly one-hour web conference. Between weeks two and three, the NJC gives participants a week off to take a break or catch up on assignments.
“The written materials were voluminous, but excellent. I printed them out and built a “bench binder” to keep on hand.” - 2025 Course Participant
Course $600
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.
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. 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.
As newly elected or appointed administrative adjudicators, 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 administrative law judge or hearing officer. It also addresses the ethical requirements of transitioning from the bar to the administrative bench. Week two focuses on what a new administrative adjudicator 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 administrative adjudicators should (and should not) do ethically in both their professional and personal lives.
The course is four weeks in length. Participants spend an average of six to eight hours per week on assignments, and to complete the course, they must attend a weekly one-hour web conference. Between weeks two and three, the NJC gives participants a week off to take a break or catch up on assignments.
“The written materials were voluminous, but excellent. I printed them out and built a “bench binder” to keep on hand.” - 2025 Course Participant