The Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference (FALJC) is a voluntary professional association, organized over 60 years ago for the purpose of improving the administrative judicial process, presenting educational programs to enhance the judicial skills of Administrative Law Judges, and representing the concerns of Federal Administrative Law Judges in matters affecting the administrative judiciary. Membership in the Conference is open to judges from every administrative agency that employs Administrative Law Judges. FALJC sponsors educational and social programs for its members, and from time to time speaks out on behalf of its members on issues relating to the administrative judicial process and issues of concern to our members regarding our status as employees of the United States. Among the educational programs sponsored by the Conference is an annual three-day seminar at which speakers from the judiciary, academia, and the private practice of law speak on a variety of topics related to administrative law and trial practice.
By virtue of its broad membership base, FALJC is the only organization of Judges which can speak for the broad spectrum of Federal Administrative Law Judges. Over the years, the Conference has championed the preservation of the decisional independence of Administrative Law Judges, measures enhancing due process of law in administrative judicial proceedings, and improvements in the administrative judicial process. FALJC has traditionally supported legislation that serves the dual goals of enhancing both the reality and the public’s perception of fairness in the administrative judicial process. There can be no due process of law for litigants, whether private citizens or the United States Government, without the reality of fairness, and the system will not function effectively and efficiently without the public perception of fairness.
As part of its mission, FALJC comments on actions taken by the Executive Branch that may impact its members and the independence of the administrative law judiciary. For instance, FALJC sent a report to the current administration urging certain reforms in the administration of the ALJ scheme. In extensive comments, FALJC also opposed proposals of the previous administration that were determined to endanger ALJ independence and impartiality. In addition, FALC monitors and, if warranted, participates in judicial proceedings of vital importance to its members. In 2023, FALJC submitted an amicus curiae brief in the United States Supreme Court case of SEC v. Jarkesy regarding the constitutionality of removal protections for Administrative Law Judges.