Lawmakers eliminate potential conflicts of interest.

• Position: Brief Article

Far more hearings are held every day in front of agency judges than there are court trials. And, consequently, there are more chances of conflicts of interest.

Administrative hearings deal with a variety of subjects, such as citizen claims for workers' compensation, Social Security or welfare benefits. Administrative law judges hear cases, find the facts and apply the law, just like in a trial, but these proceedings are referred to as "adjudications" or "adjudicatory proceedings" or "hearings."

The opinions are only proposed, and agency heads are free to substitute their judgment for that of the administrative law judge on questions of fact or law.

Approximately half the states perform hearings by agency administrative law judges. By contrast, there are currently 25 states and the cities of Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., that have adopted state central panels.

In that system, a single state agency employs administrative law judges to hear cases for several state agencies, instead of asking each agency to employ its own judges.

The system is intended to provide a...