Administrative law judges (ALJs) and agency adjudications are two things about which most people know very little, but both play an important role in the operations of government in the United States. Adjudications and agency hearings are an important component of regulatory enforcement, entitlement disbursement, and internal agency management. Administrative law judges preside over disputes between two or more parties, much like a judge presides over cases brought before a court. However, an administrative law judge is an employee of the executive branch of government and, often, one of the parties in the dispute is the agency for whom they are employed. Adjudications are the equivalent to cases and are the conflicts over which the administrative law judges preside. This entry will present the origins of administrative law judges and discuss the current role they play at the state and federal government adjudications.