Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings ("OAH")

Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings (“OAH”)

Posted 6 months ago

Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge

Who May Apply: Open to all qualified job seekers
Date Posted: 08/23/2022
Closing Date: 10/07/2022
Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit: Office of Administrative Hearings
Division/Unit: Administrative Law
Work Shift/Work Hours: Day Shift
Days of Work: Monday – Friday
Travel Required: Yes
Salary Range: $81.07 / hourly; $169,274 / annually
Classified Status: Classified
Connect 700 Program Eligible: Yes

Job Summary

The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is seeking to hire an Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge. This position is responsible for presiding as an administrative law judge and providing supervision to a team of administrative law judges. This is a hybrid work opportunity; judges work a minimum of four (4) days in the office per pay period (every 2 weeks).

OAH is Minnesota’s centralized administrative court created by the legislature within the executive branch. OAH provides fair and impartial trial-level administrative hearings involving challenges to government action and high-quality dispute resolution services.

Since 1976, Administrative Law Judges have served over 250 state agencies and local units of government and heard cases involving over 200 unique areas of law. Administrative Law Judges preside over cases involving challenges to state and local government action, including:

Utility rates and routes.
Professional licenses, from medical practice to childcare and foster care.
Veterans’ preference.
Occupational safety and health.
Nursing home regulatory compliance.
Environmental permits.
Human rights.
Personnel disputes involving government employees.
Fair campaign practices complaints.
Data Practices complaints; and
Municipal boundary adjustment matters.

Administrative Law Judges also review the need for, and reasonableness of all rules proposed by state agencies, and provide mediation services across Minnesota, including disputes not pending before OAH.

Core Responsibilities:

Serve as an administrative law judge AND perform all supervisory functions related to a team of administrative law judges.
Act in accordance with the Code of Judicial Conduct and applicable statutory codes of ethics.
Research, understand, interpret, apply, and explain relevant law in complex legal and factual settings.
Conduct fair and impartial hearings in complex, adversarial cases in accordance with governing laws and rules.
Resolve issues of law and fact based upon the application of sound, supported legal reasoning to facts based upon evidence in the hearing record.
Engage in clear, respectful oral communication.
Prepare clear, concise, and easily understandable written decisions and orders.
Supervise, plan, motivate and provide leadership to judges within the work unit.
Work cooperatively with OAH leadership to continuously improve the quality of court operations.
Establish and maintain effective, cooperative, and respectful relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Maintain a license to practice law in the State of Minnesota.

In order to be considered for this posting, applicants MUST complete the following by the close of the posting:

Complete the online application available at http://www.mn.gov/careers.
Upload a cover letter and resume that:
- Describes the nature of your law practice
- Lists any awards or other recognitions you received
- Describes any pro bono legal activities
- Lists current and past memberships/activities in law and/or professional associations
- Describes any specialized training or subject matter expertise in administrative law, alternative dispute resolution, and intercultural competency
- Describes any teaching you have done in law school, continuing legal education, or other professional education programs
- Lists any articles or publications you have written after law school
- Lists any significant community activities
Submit a writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages) via email to jill.s.melzarek@state.mn.us.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Juris Doctorate (J.D.)
Current licensure in good standing to practice law in the State of Minnesota.
Demonstrated knowledge of administrative procedures and related laws.
Demonstrated legal writing skills.
Intercultural competency. Ability to relate and communicate effectively with individuals who do not share the same culture, ethnicity, language, or other common experiences.
Ability to work well as part of a team.
Ability to maintain judicial temperament, which requires compassion, decisiveness, open-mindedness, courtesy, patience, freedom from bias, and a commitment to equal justice under the law.

Preferred Qualifications

Supervisory experience of more than one direct report.
Litigation experience.
Experience applying the Rules of Evidence.
Mediator or arbitrator experience.
Experience as a judge in an administrative setting.
Demonstrated commitment to community and public service.

Additional Requirements

It is the policy of the Office of Administrative Hearings that all employees submit to a background investigation prior to employment. The background check may consist of the following components:

SEMA4 Records Check (applies to current and past state employees only)
Criminal History Check
Employment Reference Check
Court Records Check

Application Details

Why Work For Us

GREAT BENEFITS PACKAGE! The State of Minnesota offers a comprehensive benefits package including low cost medical and dental insurance, employer paid life insurance, short and long term disability, pre-tax flexible spending accounts, retirement plan, tax-deferred compensation, generous vacation and sick leave, and 11 paid holidays each year.

Our differences make us stronger and leveraging them helps us create a workforce where everyone can thrive. The State of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at our workplace. We do this by developing strong leaders and advocates, increasing cultural competence and understanding among all employees, and removing institutional barriers and attitudes that prevent employees from advancing as far as their talents will take them. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), marital status, familial status, receipt of public assistance, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, or age.