Definition
Serves as a quasi‑judicial officer responsible for adjudicating contested workers’ compensation, occupational disease, and hearing loss claims under Iowa law. Conducts contested case hearings in person, telephonically, and virtually; rules on motions, discovery matters, and the admissibility of evidence; and prepares formal decisions and related orders. Ensures compliance with statutory and administrative requirements applicable to the reporting, litigation, and resolution of injury claims; performs related work as required.
The work examples and competencies listed below are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be the primary basis for position classification decisions.
Work Examples
Oversee and manage an active litigation docket to ensure timely, efficient, and procedurally sound processing of contested workers’ compensation cases.
Use the electronic filing and case management system to ensure motions, rulings, and decisions are properly filed and maintained in the agency’s electronic docket.
Review, analyze, and rule on motions and procedural matters, including dispositive motions, discovery disputes, evidentiary motions, and requests for amendments or extensions.
Oversee discovery proceedings to facilitate timely progress of contested cases and to ensure matters are prepared for hearing efficiently.
Conduct the full range of workers’ compensation hearings authorized under Iowa law, including alternate medical care, arbitration, review‑reopening, vocational rehabilitation, independent medical evaluation, medical fee dispute, compliance, and other statutory hearings.
Preside over contested case hearings by administering oaths, maintaining proper order of proof, ruling on objections, receiving and clarifying testimony and exhibits, and ensuring the evidentiary record is fully developed and consistent with applicable rules of evidence, civil procedure, and administrative law.
Serve as a neutral and impartial decision‑maker and employ conflict‑management techniques to de‑escalate adversarial situations and facilitate the orderly presentation of evidence.
Receive and clarify evidence by questioning witnesses and overseeing attorney examination; rule on evidentiary objections and offers of proof to ensure an accurate record for decision‑making.
Prepare proposed and final decisions by summarizing relevant evidence, making findings of fact, applying statutes, administrative rules, case law, and precedent, and issuing conclusions of law resolving disputes on the merits.
Exercise agency discretion to determine taxation and allocation of costs among parties pursuant to Iowa Code section 10A.328.
Conduct pretrial and scheduling conferences to identify stipulations, narrow disputed issues, streamline evidentiary needs, promote settlement when appropriate, and expedite contested case proceedings.
Participate in agency compliance and enforcement activities, including conducting hearings related to reporting requirements, identifying uninsured employers, and referring matters to the Iowa Attorney General or local prosecutors for potential injunctions or prosecution.
Communicate with attorneys, employees, employers, and insurance carriers by phone, virtual hearings, electronic mail, correspondence, or personal meetings regarding rights, liabilities, and procedures under Iowa’s workers’ compensation laws.
Monitor ethical compliance of attorneys appearing before the agency and make appropriate referrals when potential violations arise.
Schedule and conduct virtual hearings, ensuring proper notice, access, and participation for all parties.
Draft administrative rules to implement applicable provisions of the Iowa Code and provide legislative guidance as required.
Provide public outreach and education to attorneys, employees, employers, and insurance companies regarding workers’ compensation rights, responsibilities, procedures, and agency practices.
Competencies Required
Knowledge:
Administrative – Administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Communications and Media – Media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Customer and Personal Service – Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language – Structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Law and Government – Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Abilities:
Category Flexibility – Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Flexibility of Closure – Identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of Ideas – Come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Inductive Reasoning – Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Near Vision – See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension – Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression – Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality – Come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity – Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Selective Attention – Concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity – Speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition – Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension – Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression – Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Skills:
Active Learning – Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension – Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking – Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing – Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
All of the following (1, 2, and 3):
Graduation from an accredited law school; and
Possession of a license to practice law in Iowa; and
Two years of experience in the practice of law which involved contested claims or legal/administrative handling of workers' compensation or other insurance compensation claims disputes.
Notes
Travel may be required for positions in this class. Employees must arrange transportation to and from assigned work areas.
Effective Date: 08/26 KC