The chief administrative law judge may assign workers’ compensation cases to compensation judges using a block system type of assignment that, among other things, ensures that a case will remain with the same judge from commencement to conclusion, except that the judge must be removed from the case when:

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(1) a party exercises a legal right to do so;

(2) the judge is incapacitated or is otherwise unable to hold a hearing; or

(3) assignment of a different judge is required by section 176.106, subdivision 7; 176.238, subdivision 6; or 176.305, subdivision 1a, or the Minnesota Code of Judicial Conduct.

The block system shall be the preferred means of assigning cases, but it may be supplemented by other systems of case assignment to ensure that cases are timely decided.