What You'll Do

  • Prepare written opinions and decisions.
  • Review and evaluate data on documents, such as claim applications, birth or death certificates, or physician or employer records.
  • Research and analyze laws, regulations, policies, and precedent decisions to prepare for hearings and to determine conclusions.
  • Confer with individuals or organizations involved in cases to obtain relevant information.
  • Recommend the acceptance or rejection of claims or compromise settlements according to laws, regulations, policies, and precedent decisions.
  • Explain to claimants how they can appeal rulings that go against them.
  • Monitor and direct the activities of trials and hearings to ensure that they are conducted fairly and that courts administer justice while safeguarding the legal rights of all involved parties.
  • Authorize payment of valid claims and determine method of payment.
  • Conduct hearings to review and decide claims regarding issues, such as social program eligibility, environmental protection, or enforcement of health and safety regulations.
  • Rule on exceptions, motions, and admissibility of evidence.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 4.25/5
Active Listening 4.25/5
Critical Thinking 4.25/5
Writing 4.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.12/5
Speaking 4.0/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.88/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.88/5
Active Learning 3.75/5
Monitoring 3.62/5
Negotiation 3.25/5
Time Management 3.25/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Integrity, Attention to Detail, Dependability, Self-Control, Cautiousness

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 4.25/5
Written Comprehension 4.25/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.25/5
Written Expression 4.12/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Problem Sensitivity 4.0/5
Speech Clarity 3.88/5

Technologies & Tools

Adobe Acrobat Courtroom scheduling software Email software Instant messaging software LexisNexis Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Online databases SAP software Thomson Reuters Westlaw Videoconferencing software Web browser software Word processing software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.95/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.8/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.77/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.73/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.59/5)

Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?

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How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Adjudications Specialist Adjudicator Administrative Hearings Officer Administrative Judge Administrative Law Judge Appeals Examiner Appeals Officer Appeals Referee Appellate Conferee Child Support Hearing Officer Claims Adjudicator Clinical Appeals Reviewer County Ordinary Disability Hearing Officer Disciplinary Hearing Officer Field Hearing Officer Hearing Examiner Hearing Officer Hearings Examiner Hearings Officer Housing Court Judge Justice of the Peace Legal Activity Adjudicator Medicaid Disability Claims Adjudicator Parole Hearing Officer Social Security Administrative Law Judge Traffic Court Referee US Administrative Law Judge (United States Administrative Law Judge) Veteran Appeals Reviewer Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge Workers' Compensation Hearings Officer Workers' Compensation Magistrate

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.