{"id":461,"date":"2026-08-03T16:32:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=461"},"modified":"2026-08-03T16:32:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:32:45","slug":"nlrb-division-of-judges-releases-2026-bench-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=461","title":{"rendered":"NLRB Division of Judges Releases 2026 Bench Book"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    <a id=\"main-content\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"region-banner\">\n<div id=\"block-newspublications\">\n<div class=\"usa-hero\">\n<div class=\"grid-container\">\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap flex-align-end usa-section--dark text-center\">\n<div class=\"usa-hero__callout grid-col-12\">\n<h2 class=\"usa-hero__heading\">\n              <span class=\"usa-hero__heading--alt\"><br \/>\n                News &amp; Publications<br \/>\n              <\/span><br \/>\n            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"usa-hero__img-container\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"block-nlrbdashboardmynlrbpopup\">\n<div class=\"dnone\" id=\"login-box\">\n<div class=\"form-popup form-popup-auth\">\n<div class=\"my-account\">\n<div class=\"my-account-top\">\n<div class=\"left\">\n<h3>National Labor Relations Board<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"right\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlrb.gov\/user\/logout?token=m_ImZHeZX368SNZCfxwBJeW4cBQcff8QVejMEV1Q2LU\">Sign out<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-account-bottom\">\n<div class=\"dashboard\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlrb.gov\/user\">View Your Dashboard<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"form-popup form-popup-anon\">\n<div class=\"login-section\">\n<div class=\"my-account-top\">\n<h3>National Labor Relations Board<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-account-bottom\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlrb.gov\/saml_login?destination=\/user\">Sign in with Login.gov<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-container\">\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap\">\n<article class=\"usa-layout-docs__main usa-prose desktop_grid-col-9\">\n<div class=\"region-content\">\n<div id=\"block-nlrb-page-title\">\n<h1 class=\"uswds-page-title page-title\"><span class=\"field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden\">NLRB Division of Judges Releases 2026 Bench Book<\/span><br \/>\n<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"block-newsstoryemailaddress\">\n<div class=\"clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item\">\n<p>Office of Public Affairs<\/p>\n<p>202-273-1991<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlrb.gov\/news-outreach\/news-story\/mailto:publicinfo@nlrb.gov\">publicinfo@nlrb.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nlrb.gov\">www.nlrb.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div id=\"block-mainpagecontent\">\n<div data-history-node-id=\"10023\" class=\"layout layout--onecol\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--content\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-hidden field__item\">July 02, 2026<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item\">\n<p>Washington, D.C \u2013 The Judges Division of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued\u202fan\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nlrb.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fattachments%2Fpages%2Fnode-174%2F2026-nlrb-alj-bench-book.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csylvester.giustino%40nlrb.gov%7Cb40d80f6718645e66ed808ded83c06b4%7C5e453ed8e33843bb90754ed5b8a8caa4%7C0%7C0%7C639185949476930102%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=s%2FLZIAvAR%2BhdY3gfKOUDgPdNiDiXcjqq3hn8bNVoJ%2Bc%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><u>updated Bench Book<\/u><\/a>, which replaces the last update issued in May 2025. The Bench Book serves as an NLRB trial manual and is designed to provide NLRB Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) with a reference guide during hearings. It is also a useful tool for practitioners before the Board because it sets forth Board precedent and other rulings and authorities on certain recurring procedural and evidentiary issues that may arise during hearings.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0This year\u2019s edition also includes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nlrb.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fattachments%2Fpages%2Fnode-174%2Fsubstantive-additions-to-the-2026-nlrb-alj-bench-book_0.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csylvester.giustino%40nlrb.gov%7Cb40d80f6718645e66ed808ded83c06b4%7C5e453ed8e33843bb90754ed5b8a8caa4%7C0%7C0%7C639185949476957394%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=2tQGsCJGHPXbB%2FMdmm%2FGhLmZxxIhSxJ491mzbtQ3%2FXc%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><u>a separate document<\/u><\/a> called \u201cSubstantive Additions to the 2026 NLRB ALJ Bench Book,\u201d which identifies the major updates to this year\u2019s Bench Book.\u202f The updated sections in this edition address a wide range of topics, including pleadings, appearances at hearing, subpoenas, settlements and special appeals, sequestration of witnesses, the hearing record, Board precedent and relitigation of issues, supplemental or related proceedings, and evidence. \u00a0The 2026 Bench Book was edited by editor Judge Charles J. Muhl and associate editors Judges Mara-Louise Anzalone, Lauren Esposito, and John Giannopoulos.\u00a0 Now retired Judge Jeffrey D. Wedekind, who previously served as the Bench Book editor beginning in 2010, has been designated the Bench Book\u2019s Editor Emeritus.\u00a0 The Bench Book also includes a foreword by Chief Judge Robert Giannasi describing the Bench Book\u2019s history and purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The new 2026 Bench Book and the substantive additions document can now be found on the public website here:\u202f\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nlrb.gov%2Fguidance%2Fkey-reference-materials%2Fmanuals-and-guides&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csylvester.giustino%40nlrb.gov%7Cb40d80f6718645e66ed808ded83c06b4%7C5e453ed8e33843bb90754ed5b8a8caa4%7C0%7C0%7C639185949476976518%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Osvt79Fi4%2BZd9isZn3pul2%2FfwikAUNL%2B%2FW2SZWqayd4%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><u>Manuals | National Labor Relations Board<\/u><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"block-aboutnlrbpressreleases-2\">\n<div class=\"clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item\">\n<p><em>Established in 1935, the National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency that protects employees from unfair labor practices and protects the right of private sector employees to join together, with or without a union, to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The NLRB conducts hundreds of workplace elections and investigates thousands of unfair labor practice charges each year.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"tni-attribution\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlrb.gov\/news-outreach\/news-story\/nlrb-division-of-judges-releases-2026-bench-book\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">News Releases<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlrb.gov\/news-outreach\/news-story\/nlrb-division-of-judges-releases-2026-bench-book\">News Releases<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>July 02, 2026 Washington, D.C \u2013 The Judges Division of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued\u202fan\u202fupdated Bench Book, which replaces the last update issued in May 2025. The Bench Book serves as an NLRB trial manual and is designed to provide NLRB Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) with a reference guide during hearings. It&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":212,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-civil-service-independent-agencies-national-labor-relations-board"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":668,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461\/revisions\/668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}