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Welcome to NAHOThe 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. 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
Box 63 1802 North Jackson Street, Suite 880 Tullahoma, TN 37388 | Renew for 2024
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 Conferences2024 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 
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, 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.” Section meetings are for members OR members may sponsor non-members from their agencies who would like to attend. Members may email Marilyn Slifman for more information on sponsorship! Register HERE!
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 7:00 a.m. Hawaii
Thursday, May 16th Three hours of continuing judicial or legal education which will confer mandatory credits toward NAHO certification. 11:45 a.m. Eastern 10:45 a.m. Central 9:45 a.m. Mountain 8:45 a.m. Pacific 7:45 a.m. Alaska 5:45 a.m. Hawaii Registration Fees NAHO Members $ 35.00 Non-Members $ 70.00 Registration + Membership $85.00 Registration + Membership covers the cost of this seminar and confers NAHO membership through 2024 at a reduced rate, including the three free one-hour webinars scheduled for 2024, access to NAHO section meetings, and a reduced rate for 2024 Annual Conference in Savannah, GA.
Mini-Conference Session Descriptions Best Practices for Working with Interpreters Courts, including administrative tribunals, encounter parties who are not fluent in the English language with increasing frequency, requiring translators to interpret proceedings. Participants will learn how to recognize common concerns and develop solutions to issues when using an interpreter; define best practices when using interpreters live, telephonically, or on video platforms; and compile a bench-book of tools, including scripts and checklists, to facilitate the use of interpreters in hearings. How Due Process Matters to Litigants This session will examine due process from the litigant’s perspective. It will address what due process means to hearing participants, why it is important to them, and how the presiding officer can manage each litigant’s expectation to be treated fairly throughout the hearings process. The class will consider real-life situations and practical methods to ensure not only that the hearings process meets legal requirements for due process but also that all participants know they were treated fairly. Don’t Be Misled: Factors Influencing Witness Credibility Assessment Research reveals that the physical demeanor of a testifying witness seldom provides any reliable indication of credibility. This class will focus on the established factors for determining witness credibility, the ways in which witnesses try to influence the perception of others, and the intentional processes that could be aimed at changing your evaluation of testimony. The class will provide tips on systematic credibility assessment to avoid reliance on cognitive biases and stereotypical thinking. Explaining why you found a witness to be unbelievable can be problematic. This class will also provide examples of ways in which to word your credibility findings in your written orders and decisions. Conference Presenters Toni Boone, Administrative Law Judge Nevada Dept. of Motor Vehicles (retired) Toni Boone was 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 administrative law faculty for the National Judicial College for 23 years and was awarded NJC’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2019. She is an alumna of the University of Arkansas where she was a Truman Scholar. She is NAHO-certified and serves as NAHO's Conference Chair. Judge Sherri L. Collins, 15th Judicial Circuit Palm Beach County, Florida Judge Collins has presided over cases as a circuit judge for Florida’s 15th Judicial Circuit for eight years and spent decades as a prosecutor in Florida prior to taking the bench. Judge Collins is widely known for her teaching and mentoring skills and is also on the faculty of the National Judicial College. Her undergraduate and J.D. degrees were earned at the University of Florida. W. Michael Gillette, Associate Justice 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 43 years and received NJC’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also served as an adjunct professor at Willamette University School of Law, Lewis and Clark School of Law, and Portland State University. James Johnson, Chief Administrative Judge Pennsylvania Insurance Dept. (retired) Jim Johnson received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and graduated magna cum laude from University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He spent thirteen years in private practice before joining the Pennsylvania Insurance Department where he served as Chief Administrative Judge for 25 years. He achieved NAHO certification and is on the Editorial Board of the NAHO News. Written materials related to the May 16, 2024, mini-conference virtual sessions will be available to registrants from May 15 to June 30, 2024, on the NAHO website. 2023 Annual Conference Materials are still available! Click HERE to download the Zip File. |
