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National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

The National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary (NAALJ) is the largest professional organization devoted exclusively to administrative adjudication devoted to the executive branch of government. It is a non-profit corporation founded in 1974. Its mission is to promote an impartial, professional administrative judiciary that adheres to high ethical standards and furthers the recognition and understanding of its necessary role in the function of government.

NAALJ has members in many states and functions as a parent organization for many state affiliates, including Illinois, Indiana, District of Columbia, Maryland, Arkansas, Iowa, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, and Washington.  Its voting members include state, federal, and local administrative law judges, administrative judges, hearing officers, referees, trial examiners, agency chairs and commissioners, as well as higher appellate authorities, exercising a wide variety of subject matter jurisdiction. Associate members include law professors and attorneys involved in administrative law.

NAALJ’s core functions are first, the enhancement of the quality of administrative justice and second, the furtherance of the process of alternate dispute resolution by means of arbitration and mediation. To those ends, NAALJ provides for exchanging ideas and information. It conducts seminars and conferences, and confers with officials of the state and federal governments on methods of improving administrative adjudication.  NAALJ publishes a newsletter and the Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary, which is published semi-annually by Pepperdine University School of Law. The Journal is widely recognized as the finest and most scholarly publication focusing on developments affecting the administrative judiciary.  NAALJ also provides scholarships to attend conferences.

The National Administrative Law Judge Foundation (NALJF) is the public interest arm of NAALJ. NALJF endows an annual Fellowship to encourage research and scholarship in the area of administrative law.  Each year, the NALJF Fellow writes an article for publication in the NAALJ Journal and delivers a presentation at the annual conference.  The Fellow receives a $1,500 cash stipend and an all-expenses-paid trip to the conference.

Upcoming events include the 2016 Annual NAALJ Conference to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah from Sunday, Sept 18, 2016 to Wednesday, Sept 21, 2016. Initial sessions include:

  • Demeanor evidence and credibility determinations
  • Sound pre-hearing practices
  • How to actually do more with less
  • Common writing mistakes
  • Communicating with stakeholders, legislators and the press
  • Immigration status as a defense to agency actions
  • Current case law updates
  • Mental health issues

Salt Lake City is at the heart of a metropolitan area of more than 2 million residents, located in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range. The Salt Lake Valley is one of the most striking landscapes of any American city, and its close proximity to exceptional wilderness lures people here from all over the globe. Host to the 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City is only about 45 minutes from some of the best skiing (downhill and cross-country) in the country. The Wasatch Mountains are also home to excellent summer and fall hiking and biking trails, boating and fishing. In contrast, world-famous “red rock country†is only about four hours to the south. NAALJ is planning a half day visit to Park City, home to the world-famous Sundance Film Festival, excellent ski resorts, great restaurants and fun shopping. The Conference will be held in the Hotel Monaco, an award-wining boutique hotel in the heart of Salt Lake City. It’s about 2 blocks from the new City Creek shopping mall (home to more than 110 shops and numerous restaurants), and less than a block from Trax, Salt Lake’s light rail system.

Future events include a midyear conference in Colorado and the 2017 annual conference to be held in New York City.

For more information about NAALJ and the 2016 Annual Conference, visit www.naalj.org.

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