Subdivision 1. Chief administrative law judge.
The chief administrative law judge shall schedule workers' compensation hearings on as regular a schedule as may be practicable in no fewer than six widely separated locations throughout the state, including at least four locations outside of the seven-county metropolitan area and Duluth, for the purpose of providing a convenient forum for parties to a compensation hearing and shall maintain a permanent office in Duluth staffed by at least one compensation judge. Continuances of the scheduled hearing date may be granted only under section 176.341, subdivision 4 .
Subd. 2. District administrators; clerks of court.
The judicial district administrators or the court administrators of the county or district courts nearest to the locations selected by the chief administrative law judge pursuant to subdivision 1 shall provide suitable hearing rooms at the times and places agreed upon for the purpose of conducting workers' compensation hearings.
Subd. 3. Scheduling matters.
A compensation judge may schedule a pretrial or settlement conference, whether or not a party requests such a conference.