Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings

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Welcome to the Office of Administrative Hearings' website. The Washington State justice system is founded on the basic principle that the justice system is accessible to all persons. (See WA State Access to Justice Board).

The purpose of the OAH website is to provide useful information about the administrative hearing process for all persons with appeals pending before OAH. You will find easy access to current laws, rules, and self-help materials regarding the administrative hearings process.

In the upper right-hand corner of all pages (on the blue bar), you will find a “Printable Version” link. This link will help you to print our educational materials and information in an easy-to-print format.

You will find six basic sections listed on the blue bar including Home, About OAH, Hearings, OAH Offices, Research and Disclaimer. In addition, there is a Quick Links listing on the right to guide you to information on specific hearings such as DSHS, Unemployment, and Public Instruction. The site also has quicklinks to our Legal Glossary, News, Privacy, Site Map, Equal Access and a link for Media Contacts.

OAH’s Vision is to make the Washington State OAH the premier central panel agency in the nation; and a model for other states to emulate. The mission of OAH is to hold fair and independent hearings for the public and for government agencies; and to issue sound and timely decisions. OAH goals include: to conduct high quality hearings and to issue sound decisions; to provide timely hearings and timely decisions; and to enhance OAH’s organizational capacity, efficiency, diversity and competency.

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OAH is working on updating and re-designing this Internet web site. OAH will continue to post news and important items as they occur. We are working hard to keep any interruptions to a minimum. Your patience is requested until the update and re-design are completed later this year.

Governor appoints new Chief Administrative Law Judge

Governor Christine Gregoire appointed Lorraine Lee as Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings on June 19, 2009.

Ms. Lee served as Chair of the Washington State Liquor Control Board since 2006. She also served as the Director of Licensing and Regulation for the WSLCB since 2002. She was the Assistant Director of the Washington State Lottery from 1997 to 2000 and Executive Policy Advisor for governors Gary Locke and Mike Lowry (1995 to 1997).

Ms. Lee served as staff attorney for the Washington Court of Appeals, Division II, from 2001 to 2002, and for the Washington Appellate Defender Association from 1991 to 1995. She was a lawyer for the United States Army, serving in the rank of Captain in Hawaii, Korea and Washington, D.C. from 1984 to 1990.

Ms. Lee attained her J.D. in 1983 from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School after attaining her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Washington in 1980. Ms. Lee grew up in eastern Washington and graduated from Moses Lake High School.

Hearing Information
Quick Links