Hearing officer is the generic term given to individuals who preside over administrative hearings. A hearing officer may also be called an “administrative law judge” in some jurisdictions. In short, a hearing officer is expected to be an impartial third party to a dispute, someone who considers both sides and then renders a decision. Typically, a hearing officer has the authority to administer oaths, take testimony, consider evidence, and make findings of fact and law. While somewhat similar to a judge in that a decision is rendered, a hearing officer considers complaints made relative to some source of administrative law-that is, statutes, regulations, or policy.

In school law, such hearings may consider disputes related to a number of legal issues including, but not limited to, special ...