Just an FYI- I am serving as a reference for a coworker and the questions have changed slightly from what was posted in 2010. Unfortunately, I didn't write down the questions as they were being asked, but here is a rough summary:
What is your relationship with the candidate?
When did your association with the candidate begin?
What is the frequency of your association?.
Rate them on a scale of 1-5- forget exactly what traits they were looking for, but along the lines of professional capability/responsibility.
How would you describe his/her interaction with others, including administrative staff, ALJs, and coworkers?
Something slightly different from, but similar to the 2010 question: Does the applicant display adherence to professional standards of conduct, reliability and diligence to discharge their professional responsibility? There was a questions specifically asking about the candidate's ethics.
The position of Administrative Law Judge requires applicant be capable of managing and adjudicating up to 700 cases per year. In your opinion, does applicant have this capability?
Would you recommend this applicant for a position as an Administrative Law Judge? Why/Why not?
There were no questions about strengths/weaknesses or time spent in the courtroom. There was no open-ended closing question allowing you to make off the cuff remarks.
Hopefully with this heads up, someone else can be prepared to write down the questions more precisely and share with the group, knowing they've changed a bit!