Administrative Law Judge (remote Indiana)

Knowledge Services is seeking a part-time remote Administrative Law Judge for a contract through the end of the year with the State of Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS).

• The role will work approximately 12 hours per month
• Administrative Law Judge must reside and be licensed in the State of Indiana.

The Administrative Law Judge Responsibilities:

The ALJ will provide adjudicatory services for the administrative proceedings of the Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS). Those administrative proceedings may include, but are not limited to, the following matters:
• Disability benefit class of impairment and degree of impairment disputes;
• Beneficiary disputes;
• Creditable service disputes;
• Retirement benefit disputes regarding effective date and eligibility;
• 1977 Fund member statewide baseline excludible disputes;
• Disputes regarding denial of disability; and
• Member Overpayments.

Essential Duties:
Conduct Administrative Hearings:

• The ALJ shall conduct all assigned administrative evidentiary hearings, as well as all other preliminary and subsequent matters, attending thereto, in accordance with IC 4-21.5-1 et seq. and all other pertinent statutes, regulations and/or case law including, but not limited to, IC 5-10.2-1 et seq.
Standards of Conduct:

• The ALJ shall conduct the entire hearing process with the highest professional standards and ethical considerations to afford all parties an equitable opportunity for a fair hearing. Said standards shall consist of, at a minimum, those specific provisions contained in the statutes referenced above in the Conduct of Administrative Hearings and the applicable rules associated therewith, as well as all other reasonable and appropriate efforts to ensure the integrity of the hearing process.

• The ALJ shall notify the INPRS's contact person as well as the parties of any possible conflict as soon as the matter is known to the ALJ.
ALJ's Decision:

• The ALJ's decision shall contain legally sufficient "findings of fact" and "conclusions of law" which clearly inform the reader of all issues in dispute (substantive as well as procedural) and the reasoning process by which said issues have been disposed of by the ALJ.
Scheduling Hearings. 

• The ALJ shall be responsible for scheduling all remote hearings and related matters.

• If matters need to be conducted in person, facilities will be furnished by the INPRS in Marion County, Indiana.

• Notice of said scheduling shall be sent to the parties by the ALJ with a reasonable notice period for the parties’ convenience. Unilateral request for continuances shall be granted at the discretion of the ALJ.

• Bilateral requests for continuances shall be granted by the ALJ.

Communication With Parties:

• The ALJ shall not communicate unilaterally, except as to urgent scheduling matters, with any party concerning the administrative hearing.

• The ALJ shall not participate in any settlement discussions with the parties but shall afford the parties every reasonable opportunity to resolve any matter in controversy in an amicable manner.
Issuance of Decision:

• The ALJ shall administer a decision in each administrative hearing assigned no later than sixty (60) days after the conclusion of the evidentiary hearing.

• If the ALJ orders post-hearing briefs from the parties, then the sixty (60) day period shall commence after the receipt of the briefs but shall not be longer, in such cases, than one hundred eighty (180) days after the conclusion of the evidentiary hearing.

• The ALJ shall be responsible for mailing copies of the decision to the parties and INPRS.
Maintenance of Record:

• The ALJ shall be exclusively responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a record during the administrative cause which shall contain the items referred to in IC 4-21.5-3-33.

• The record shall be submitted to INPRS within one month after the issuance of a decision.

• The record shall also include the mailing receipts for the certified mailings of the ALJ's decision and any objections filed within fifteen (15) days of the date that the decision was served.

• If an appeal is taken, and a transcript must be prepared, said record, including the transcript, shall be returned by INPRS to the ALJ for review and certification by the ALJ for accuracy and authenticity.

The Administrative Law Judge Qualifications:
• JD degree from accredited law school
• License to practice law in Indiana
• 10+ years of experience
• Extensive experience in pension retirement law, employee benefits, and administrative law proceedings
• Multi-disciplinary legal experience or general counsel experience
• Extensive Experience in regulatory or statutory legal interpretation
• Legislative or lobbying experience preferred

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.

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