National Association of Hearing Officials

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Welcome to NAHO

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.

2024 NAHO MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Professional Development Conferences: 

NAHO's 2024 Annual Professional Development Conference will be held in person, December 3, 4, and 5 in Savannah, Georgia.  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 2024. 

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. If every member of the prospective group to be trained is a NAHO member, the only cost for the training is the cost incurred by the presenters in providing the training.

The NAHO News: 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, Twitter, 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 is in the process of updating its website with new features to connect members.  Members will be able to join a Section at no extra charge and access the email address of other members who conduct the same or similar types of hearings. There will also be a members-only blog on which members can share their comments on current events of interest to administrative adjudicators. Virtual Section meetings are also in development so members can connect in person. 


NAHO News - December 2023 Edition is available for download

Thanks to everyone who submitted photos, quotes or articles! 

Do you have an idea for an upcoming article?    Send your submissions to NAHONews

--The NAHO News Editorial Board

We've updated our mailing address, effective January 9, 2024! 

Box 63

1802 North Jackson Street, Suite 880

Tullahoma, TN 37388


Renew for 2024

  • Renew your membership for 3-years paid by March 1, 2024, and receive a $30 On-Demand Library Credit
  • Renew your membership for 1-year paid by January 31, 2024, and receive a $15 On-Demand Library Credit

Yes, credit can be used to view recorded webinars you might have missed, and videos of classes you might need for Certification, or any other video in the library!

NAHO members receive free admission to NAHO Webinars and discounts for Virtual and In-Person Conferences. 

Questions?  Please contact your Regional Representative or Marilyn Slifman. 

We're always accepting new members!

NAHO Conferences

   2024 Professional     Development Conference

December 3, 4, and 5

Savannah, Georgia


What do you think of when you think of Savannah? Ancient oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss, the beautiful park-like squares all over the city, welcoming Southern Hospitality,  historic architecture, fabulous weather, and incredible Southern cooking? Savannah has all that and so much more. Savannah was established in 1733, is Georgia’s oldest city, and is considered American’s first planned city. Savannah is picturesque, full of history, utterly unpretentious, and down-home friendly. The average daily high temperature for Savannah in December is 65 degrees.

Aside from strolling around the Historic District and the Garden District, which will be all decked out for the holidays, Savannah has a lovely and popular European-style Christmas market along the waterfront—you can finish your holiday shopping there. NAHO is looking into the possibility of a group riverboat cruise. Wouldn’t that be fun?


NAHO’s host hotel, the DeSoto, was built on the site of the original DeSoto hotel which existed at this location—15 East Liberty Street on Madison Square—from 1890 until 1965. The hotel is nestled in the center of one of the nation’s largest Landmark Historic Districts and offers a walkable location to the city’s historic sites and mansions, garden squares, theaters, the City Market, fine dining, pubs, and boutiques and some unique museums—the American Prohibition Museum, the Mercer-Williams House Museum, Georgia State Railroad Museum, Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, and the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force  You don’t even have to leave the hotel to see one of the most magnificent art collections in Savannah. The DeSoto has the distinction of being named one of the top 25 historic hotels in the U.S. It received a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2017 and was recently updated and refurbished. The upper floors offer spectacular views of Savannah.

The DeSoto boasts three unique places to dine. Proof and Provision is a gastropub and full-service craft bar that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner and serves modern Southern-inspired fare including small plates, sandwiches, and snacks. The 1540 Room provides a dining experience, including an award-winning chef, a top-rated wine list, and meals made with fresh ingredients from local farmers and fishermen. Buffalo Bayou Coffee offers light bites, sandwiches, pastries, salads, and soups in addition to a wide variety of coffee and espresso varietals that are locally-sourced.


If you need further incentive to attend next year’s conference, NAHO is already planning a curriculum that includes courses specific to hearing type, articulating credibility findings in written decisions, multiple classes on evidence and ethics, a course on constitutional law for ALJs, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and so much more. NAHO has engaged some wonderful speakers that are local to the region whom you will find enlightening and enjoyable.

Save the date for the 2024 NAHO Professional Development  Conference in Savannah, Georgia, December 3rd, 4th, and 5th

Benefitting Hearing Officials and the Individuals they Serve...

Please make sure we have your current email address on file! You can update your email address anytime by logging into the NAHO website and updating your profile.  If you have forgotten your password, click the icon below to reset.  


Do you have photos or articles you'd like to share from the conference? Email those to NAHO News!

Webinars for 2024

Current NAHO members may attend monthly webinars free of charge but advance registration is required.

Thursday, March 21st

Maintaining Neutrality Under Difficult Circumstances: How Secondary Trauma Impacts Decision Making

Judge Katherine MacDonald              Administrative Law Judge                        California Public Utility Commission

It's been said that “dispassionate judges” are “mythical beings” like “Santa Claus or Uncle Sam or Easter bunnies.” Our ethics codes acknowledge we're emotional beings by requiring us to recuse from presiding over  hearings involving friends or relatives. But what about hearings involving evidence of elder abuse, animal cruelty, and maltreatment or extreme neglect of children? When we receive this type of evidence, we must regulate our emotions to maintain the neutrality necessary to reach an objective decision. Justice Sotomayor says “[I]t’s not the heart that compels conclusions in cases, it’s the law"...but we can’t help feeling what we feel. This class examines our duty to remain impartial, the impact that receiving traumatic evidence has on our ability to make objective decisions, and how neutrality can best be achieved under these difficult circumstances.

Click HERE to Register! 


Thursday, April 18th


Section Meetings

Wouldn’t you like to talk with fellow NAHO members who preside over the same (or similar) types of hearings that you do? These small group meetings will provide facilitated discussion of common issues and problems and hearing trends. Take this opportunity to network and become better acquainted with NAHO members who “do what you do.”

The above sessions will all begin at:

1:00 p.m. Eastern

12:00 p.m. Central

11:00 a.m. Mountain

10:00 a.m. Pacific

9:00 a.m. Alaska

8:00 a.m. Hawaii

Online Mini-Conference

Thursday, May 16th

Members will receive a significant discount on registration fees.

Our annual online mini-conference will provide three hours of continuing legal/judicial education. All three hours of instruction will count toward for NAHO certification. While the curriculum is still in the planning stages, one of the classes likely to be offered is How to Articulate Credibility Findings in Written Decisions.


2023 Conference Materials are still available! Click HERE to download the Zip File. 

© National Association of Hearing Officials

Box 63

1802 North Jackson Street, Suite 880

Tullahoma, TN 37388

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