JUDGE OF COMPENSATION, WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Judge of Compensation, Workers' Compensation is an unclassified role, so it is appointed at the discretion of the hiring authority and does not carry the usual exam-and-tenure track.
State payroll currently lists about 47 people in the title, most of them at Labor.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
See every real route in, and where to apply. One agency employs it. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Who employs this title
Judge of Compensation, Workers' Compensation appears on the State payroll at one department, Department of Labor.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Labor | 47 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 47 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $173,479. The agencies employing the most are:
- Labor (47)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Examples of work
- Presides at hearings of cases involving work-incurred injuries; rules on admissibility of evidence and objections raised by Counsel, and maintains proper decorum and order under the law.
- Arranges pre-trial conferences with persons appearing on behalf of insurance carriers, employers and their attorneys and calls for submission of adequate, appropriate medical reports.
- Rules on applications for adjournment or continuance.
- Directs Medical Examiners, Workers' Compensation to testify as to their findings in the areas of nature, extent and residual permanency of disabilities and to make recommendations of further medication, therapy, surgery and/or other treatment.
- Directly examines witnesses where counsel may be deficient in their presentations so as to assure protection of the rights of all parties.
- Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees.
- Renders detailed findings of law and fact, including reasons for drawing conclusions reached.
- Reviews procedures in use and recommends improvements to achieve fair hearings at a reduction of litigation costs and delays of time.
- Prepares reports containing cases adjourned, settled and/or granted continuance along with the reasons for these actions.
- Supervises maintenance of essential case records and schedules.
- <b>REQUIREMENTS
- EDUCATION</b>
- Graduation from an accredited college or university, with a Bachelor's degree, supplemented by graduation from an accredited school of law with an LLB degree.
Experience
Five years as a practicing attorney, at least three years of which has dealt with presentation of cases involving physical injuries to claimants and their settlement.
"The Judge of the Division of Workers' Compensation shall hereinafter be appointed on a bipartisan basis by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate and shall serve during good behavior." <b> (N.J.S.A. 34:15-49) </b>
"...Each Judge of Compensation shall be an attorney-at-law of the State of New Jersey." <b> (N.J.S.A., C. 34:1A-12.1) </b>
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Considerable knowledge of the laws of New Jersey relating to worker health, safety and injury.
- Considerable knowledge of medical terminology.
- Basic knowledge of the provisions of the New Jersey public law related to the establishment and mandate of the Division of Workers' Compensation.
- Ability to interpret and apply basic law in differing non-routine cases involving claimants against employers for injuries resulting from work-incurred injuries.
- Ability to interpret and apply the law, rules, regulations and body of precedential decisions extant in the field of Workers' Compensation awards.
- Ability to examine witnesses, as required, to assure protection of the rights of all parties.
- Ability to evaluate medical and legal evidence presented and render fair decisions involving justifiable awards to injured workers.
- Ability to review, evaluate and make recommendations for improvements in hearings procedures to reduce costs of litigation and delays of time.
- Ability to prepare detailed findings of law and fact, including reasons for drawing conclusions reached.
- Ability to supervise maintenance of essential case records and schedules.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of the position. Communication may include such forms as American Sign Language or braille.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.