What are the rules governing contact of OALJ?

Prohibition on ex parte communications

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges is an administrative court. Accordingly, it is important to be aware that improper ex parte communication with the Office of Administrative Law Judges is prohibited by statute and regulation. If you make an improper ex parte communication with this office, including messages sent by e-mail, we are required to put that communication on the public record. See 5 U.S.C. 557(d)(1)(C). Thus, if you choose to send a e-mail to us about a case pending before this office, please be aware that this office may not be able to keep the communication confidential.

General rules about filing

General rules governing filings are found in the OALJ Rules of Practice and Procedure at 29 C.F.R. § 18.3; however, where a rule of special application provides otherwise, the Part 18 rule does not apply. See the Rules of Practice page for more information. Filings by fax are governed by 29 C.F.R. § 18.3(f) and (g). Documents relating to a case may not be filed by fax unless explicitly permitted by statute, regulation or the presiding judge. Moreover, at present, OALJ is not able to accept e-mail filings.

Link to contact page

Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of OALJ contact personnel are found on the Contact Information page.

Reporting technical problems

To report technical problems with the web site, please send an e-mail to the OALJ Webmaster or call (202) 693-7542. The OALJ webmaster is a member of the OALJ Information Resources Division, is not a labor law expert, and cannot answer questions about DOL programs.

Questions about OALJ programs

General questions about OALJ programs may be addressed to OALJ-questions@dol.gov As an administrative court, however, OALJ cannot and will not provide assistance to persons seeking legal advice. Rather, questions about the interpretation of labor laws should be directed to the agency having administrative responsibility and expertise over the subject matter. For example, if you have a question about work hours, you should contact the Wage and Hour Division, and not OALJ. For assistance in finding the right agency to ask questions, see the FAQ page on questions about employment-related issues

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