Office of Administrative Law Judge

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The Office of Administrative Law Judge (OALJ) provides conflict resolution by independent administrative law judges. Judges preside at formal hearings in contested matters before the PUC, gather all the facts relating to an individual case, prepare written decisions outlining the issues and recommend resolutions to the disputes.

The OALJ includes a mediation unit and a mediation coordinator. It is the PUC’s policy to encourage mediation and settlement rather than to see the parties engage in what may become lengthy and expensive litigation during the formal hearing process. Mediation is a voluntary, confidential and non-binding process through which a neutral third party, the mediator, assists the parties in reaching a mutually acceptable settlement of their disputes.

Mediation
Information on the goals and guidelines of mediation