Modifications to Role of National Labor Relations Board's Administrative Law Judges Including: Assignment of Administrative Law Judges as Settlement Judges; Discretion of Administrative Law Judges To Dispense With Briefs, To Hear Oral Argument in Lieu of Briefs, and To Issue Bench Decisions

In light of the most recent shutdown of Agency operations due to the lack of appropriated funds, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is extending, from January 31, 1996, until March 1, 1996, the one-year experiment it commenced on February 1, 1995, authorizing the use of settlement judges and providing administrative law judges (ALJs) with the discretion to dispense with briefs, to hear oral argument in lieu of briefs, and to issue bench decisions. In a related document published elsewhere in today's Federal Register, the NLRB is also extending, from December 29, 1995, until January 25, 1996, the deadline for filing comments in response to its recent proposal to make permanent, following expiration of the experimental period, the experimental modifications.