The National Association of Hearing Officials, Inc., is a professional nonprofit organization formed in 1987 comprised of individuals involved in the process of administrative adjudication. The twelve-member Board of Directors is elected by NAHO's membership and represents all sections of the country and a variety of administrative jurisdictions.

The mission of the National Association of Hearing Officials is to improve the fairness and effectiveness of the administrative hearing process, thus benefiting hearing officials, their employing agencies, and the individuals those agencies serve by:                                                 ~promoting professionalism;                 ~offering instruction on sound administrative adjudication practices and procedures;   ~providing year-round continuing legal and adjudicative education;                                         ~affording a national forum for discussion of important issues; and                                         ~furnishing leadership concerning the administrative hearing process.

NAHO does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, political affiliation, gender, gender expression, age, national origin/ethnicity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of its activities or operations. NAHO's membership reflects racial, ethnic, and gender diversity.

2025 NAHO MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Professional Development Conferences: 

NAHO's 2025 Annual Professional Development Conference will be held in person, December 2, 3, and 4 in San Antonio, Texas.  Two to three different class sessions will be offered for each hour of the conference, with almost forty hours of CLE-quality class from which to choose. Completion of the entire conference would garner 17 hours of continuing legal education credits. 

NAHO offers one Virtual Mini-Conference each year offering three hours of continuing legal education classes.

View past conference brochures and classes offered here or at the Professional Development tab above.

Certification: NAHO is the only national organization of administrative hearing officials which has a certification program for Administrative Law Judges and Hearing Officers. Upon successful completion of the educational and professional requirements and approval by the NAHO Board, a three-year certification is granted which can be renewed simply by keeping current on training in administrative adjudication.

Webinars:  NAHO will provide four to six free one-hour continuing legal education webinars to its members during 2025. 

NAHO's CLE webinars are always held on the third Thursday of the month at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, 12:00 p.m. Central, 11:00 a.m. Mountain, and 10:00 a.m. Pacific to make it convenient for members to schedule their ongoing CLE classes around their dockets.

On-Demand Instruction: NAHO maintains a library of videos recorded from Professional Development Conferences and Webinars, which can be accessed by members online for a small fee. Viewing NAHO videos may also qualify for education credits toward NAHO certification and for self-study CLE credits in some states.

Customized Group Training: An agency may request customized training for their member-adjudicators in a particular area of administrative law or on specialized subjects. This training may be held virtually or on-site. 

The NAHO News: NAHO Notes (bimonthly) and longer NAHO's periodic newsletter keeps members informed about NAHO's activities and upcoming events. Members are encouraged to contribute articles of interest to administrative adjudicators.

Social Media Presence: Members can connect with NAHO by following NAHO on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

NAHO Merchandise: Merchandise with the NAHO logo has long been available to members attending its in-person conferences. It will soon be available via the NAHO website. NAHO-logoed items include t-shirts, caps, padfolios, lapel pins, and face masks. Personalized, monogrammed NAHO items are available by special order.

Networking: NAHO Members can join a Section at no extra charge and access the email address of other members who conduct the same or similar types of hearings. Virtual NAHO Section meetings are held periodically where members can connect with other members in their section or join in on other sections.  

NAHO 2025 SPRING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT VIRTUAL MINI CONFERENCE

May 15, 2025

11:45 a.m. EST to 4:00 p.m. EST

Conference Sessions:

• Safety and Security Recommendations for Hearings, Home, and Cyberspace (E)

• Ethics: Avoiding the Problems and Pitfalls of Social Media for Adjudicators (M)

• Advice for De-Escalating Antagonistic Behavior to Defuse Aggression in Hearings (E)

Conference Presenters: 

Toni Boone, Administrative Law Judge (OR) Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (retired)

Toni Boone was the final authority on thousands of high volume cases and hundreds of complex cases in her 31 years as an administrative law judge. She has been a member of the faculty of the National Judicial College (NJC) for 25 years and received NJC’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2019. She is an alumna of the University of Arkansas, is Immediate Past President of NAHO, and chairs NAHO’s Conference Committee.

John Muffler, Principal Aequitas Global Security LLC

John Muffler, U.S. Marshals Service Chief Inspector (retired), was Administrator of the National Center for Judicial Security, a national program that researched, trained, and assessed security measures and countermeasures for the global judicial community. He has lectured globally on judicial security, protective intelligence, and assessment and management of threats. He’s a faculty member of the NJC and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Through his company, he helps courts create security systems and provides advice and guidance to the judiciary on security-related topics. He has an MS from St. Joseph’s University and a BS from Temple University.

W. Michael Gillette, Associate Justice (OR) Oregon Supreme Court (retired)

Mick Gillette holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA, cum laude, from Whitman College. He served in various capacities for the Oregon Department of Justice before serving on the Oregon Court of Appeals for 8 years, and on the Oregon Supreme Court for 25 years. He has taught at the National Judicial College for 45 years and received NJC’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has also served as an adjunct professor of law at Willamette University Law School and Lewis and Clark (Northwestern) Law School.

Conference Brochure: