The executive branch
administrative law judge
A hearing officer inside an agency who decides individual cases under that agency's statutes: benefits claims, licensing disputes, enforcement actions.
In full
ALJs preside over adjudications the way a trial judge presides over a trial, with testimony, evidence, and a written decision, but they work for the agency whose law they apply. The APA insulates them from agency pressure over pay and discipline. Social Security disability appeals are the largest single body of ALJ work in the federal government.
Also written as: ALJ
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.