Certification Requirements

REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIAL CERTIFICATION:

==> To be eligible for initial certification, an applicant must:

have a law school degree and have at least two years of
experience as a hearing official (defined below); or
have a medical school degree, a doctorate degree, a master’s degree, or other type of graduate degree, and at least three years of experience as a hearing official (defined below); or
have a bachelor’s degree and at least four years of experience as a hearing official (defined below); or
have between one and four years of college credits and no less than four years of experience a hearing official (defined below); HOWEVER, the years of college and the years of experience as a hearing official must equal or exceed eight years as determined by the Certification Committee.
For the purposes of NAHO certification, experience as a hearing official is defined as: personally acting as the official with authority to hear and issue a decision in administrative proceedings whether initial, proposed, or final; or personally reviewing the record of administrative proceedings in the capacity of a reviewing judge; or being personally responsible for supervising hearing officials who perform the functions of hearing official or review judge.

==>  Current employment or contract work as an administrative hearing official or law judge or at least one year of experience within the last three years in this field.

==>  Attendance at the 2007 NAHO conference will constitute attending conference within the last three years.

==>  Verification of payment of NAHO membership fees (copy of check or confirmation by NAHO) on or before the receipt date of application constitutes NAHO membership.

==>  Payment of appropriate fee as listed on application. No refunds will be made once your application is received.

==>  Attestation of attendance at fifty-two (52) hours of training as described on application with up to sixteen (16) hours through approved video or audio tapes.

==>  Courses completed at the 2007 NAHO conference will be considered.

==>  Selection by applicant of certification as a hearing official or administrative law judge, so long as the title is permitted by the employing agency or job title.

CONTINUING CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

NAHO members who have earned initial certification, and who have attended an annual NAHO professional development conference within their certification period (for example, a person earned three-year certification in 2004, and then attended the training classes at the NAHO annual conference in 2007) can obtain continuing certification for another three years by simply sending the committee a copy of their conference attendance certificate and a $20 renewal fee. Non-members may renew their certification in the same way for a $25 fee. (Refer to the instructions on this page for using the current year's conference offerings to meet continuing certification requirements.)

Otherwise, to obtain continuing certification a hearing official must pay a $35 renewal fee and document additional training before the current three-year certification expires. With the renewal application, an individual must verify that he or she has received a minimum of twelve hours (12) of instruction in any of the listed subject areas within the certification period. Viewing or listening to approved pre-recorded material will substitute for up to four of the required instructional hours.

TRAINING STANDARDS

Training may be at NAHO annual meetings or other recognized programs addressing the hearing process including those sponsored by the National Judicial College, the National Association of Administrative Law Judges, state agencies, state bar approved continuing legal education, accredited colleges, paralegal programs, or law schools. All courses must have been completed within the five years prior to application, except there is no time limit on courses through NAHO or the National Judicial College or those that were successfully completed in progress to an academic degree.

One hour of credit is awarded for each sixty minutes of in-class or video or audio tape time or for each two hours worked on a correspondence class. Persons seeking certification must attest to their attendance at the training and provide copies of the schedule or agenda listing presenters, topics, and a summary of the curriculum for each course claimed, except for courses offered through NAHO. A passing grade is required for academic courses

** PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE NAHO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CAN REVOKE CERTIFICATION STATUS AT ANY TIME FOR GOOD CAUSE **

MANDATORY	ELECTIVE	SUBSTANTIVE
Administrative Law (as described on the application) Maximum allowed: 5 hrs Conduct and Control of Administrative Hearings Maximum allowed: 5 hrs Credibility Maximum allowed: 2hrs Diversity or Multiculturalism Maximum allowed: 2hrs Due Process in Administrative Hearings Maximum allowed: 4 hrs Ethics for and before the Hearing Official/ALJ Maximum allowed: 4 hrs Evidence in Administrative Hearings Maximum allowed: 5 hrs Legal Research [waived for law school graduates] Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Decision Writing Maximum allowed: 5 hrs	Advanced Evidence Maximum allowed: 5 hrs Advanced Writing Maximum allowed: 3 hrs AIDS/HIV Training Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Caseload Management or High-Volume Proceedings Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Computers in the Work of Hearing Officials/ALJs Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Dealing with Difficult People Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Hearing Techniques Maximum allowed: 3 hrs Hearings via Electronic Media (telephonic, video, etc.) Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Immunity/Liability of Hearing Officials/ALJs Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Legal Terminology (waived for law school graduates) Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Listening Skills Maximum allowed: 3 hrs Logic for Decision-making Maximum allowed: 3 hrs Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Maximum allowed: 3 hrs Mock Hearing Practicum Maximum allowed: 3 hrs Prehearing Procedures Maximum allowed: 3 hrs Recent Developments in Administrative Law Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Review of Decisions: Administrative Agency Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Review of Decisions: Judicial Maximum allowed: 2 hrs Ruling on Objections Maximum allowed: 3 hrs Stress Management for Hearing Officials and ALJs Maximum allowed: 2 hrs	Program policy specific to your hearing area Maximum allowed: 8 hrs Maximum of 3 hours in each substantive program area where experience has been or is desired.

PROCESS FOR CERTIFICATION BY NAHO

Reliance is placed on the ethics and honesty of the applicants. Applicants must complete the attached form indicating how the courses fit the certification subject areas. Attendance at training should be verifiable by the sponsor, except for those offered by NAHO. Applications must be approved by the applicant's supervisor or agency director.

Applications are reviewed by the NAHO Certification Committee. The committee may request additional information as needed to verify that certification requirements have been met. Denial or revocation of certification by the Committee may be appealed to the NAHO Board of Directors. Any appeal must be filed with the Certification chair, within sixty (60) days of notification of the committee's action. NAHO will keep a record of the certification and provide a certificate to successful applicants.