State of Maryland

A Public Utility Law Judge I Public Service Commission (PSC) is the intermediate level of work conducting quasi-judicial hearings and formal cases and rendering decisions on behalf of the PSC.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive moderate supervision from the Chief Public Utility Law Judge.  The work requires statewide travel to conduct hearings.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Public Utility Law Judge I PSC is differentiated from the Public Utility Law Judge II PSC on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Public Utility Law Judge I PSC performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times, depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed while the Public Utility Law Judge II PSC performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Prepares for and conducts formal hearings on behalf of the Public Service Commission of Maryland;

Administers oaths and affirmations;

Rules upon offers of proof and receives relevant evidence;

Determines credibility and substantiality of testimony, makes findings of fact and conclusions of law;

Files a proposed order which is the Commission’s decision in the case, unless a party appeals or the case is taken up by the Commission on its own motion for review;

Prepares timely, clear, technically sound, accurate and comprehensive decisions in matters heard containing findings and conclusions;

Disposes of procedural requests of similar matters;

Holds pre-hearing conferences for the settlement or simplification of the issues;

Performs legal research to prepare for hearings;

Drafts orders and other decisions, as directed, for the Commission;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations and procedures relating to public service company regulation in Maryland;

Knowledge of the Maryland Public Service Commission policies relating to public utility regulation in Maryland;

Knowledge of legal procedures and substantive legal rules;

Ability to render a fair decision and to present data, comments and opinions effectively;

Ability to preside over and conduct hearings in a dignified, orderly and impartial manner;

Ability to determine credibility of witnesses;

Ability to examine and analyze evidence and to apply agency and court decisions;

Ability to exercise sound judgment;

Ability to handle controversial situations;

Ability to be objective and free from influence of any kind in evaluating evidence and making decisions.

Education:   A Juris Doctor degree or equivalent degree from an accredited law school.

Experience: Three years of experience in the practice of law. Within the past five years, must have a minimum of three years of experience either presenting exhibits or evidence; examining witnesses, and submitting written briefs in a contested evidentiary hearing before a quasi-judicial body or a trial court; or preparing proposed decisions for a trial court or quasi-judicial body.

Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Army Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in general attorney classification or general attorney specialty codes in the legal and kindred group field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education.

1. Candidates for this classification must be a member of the bar in any state or federal jurisdiction at the time of appointment.

2. Employees in this classification must become a member of the Maryland Bar within 18 months of appointment.  Failure to obtain Maryland Bar admission within this time period will constitute grounds for termination.

3. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle.  Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each individual position.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit as indicated by the designation of S (supervisor), M (manager), T (agency head), U (Board of Commission member), W (student), X (Used by agency or excluded by executive order), or Z (confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and therefore, all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1)  perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.