Administrative Judges are hired through a competitive interview process by the Secretary of State.  Open positions for a new Administrative Judge are publicly posted by the Secretary of State’s Human Resources division.

No. The titles Administrative Judge, Administrative Law Judge, and ALJ are used interchangeably.

No, Administrative Judges hear a wide variety of cases.  Judges have experience with the multi-faceted issues presented by each individual case filed with APD.  This approach allows for the greatest amount of flexibility with scheduling and assignment of cases ensuring that hearings and mediations proceed in the most expeditious manner possible.  The one exception to this practice involves State Board of Equalization cases which are primarily assigned to a subset of judges with additional specialized training in that area of the law.

An Administrative Judge is also known as an Administrative Law Judge or ALJ. The Administrative Judge rules on cases involving administrative disputes (or disputes regarding the administration or implementation of government laws and rules).

Oaths taken by the governor, a judge of the supreme court, a judge of the circuit court, a chancellor, the secretary of state, the comptroller of the treasury, the state treasurer, a district attorney general, or any other officer whose duties are not limited to one county are filed in the office of the Secretary of State. (T.C.A. § 8-18-108)

Oaths of office taken by judges of courts of general sessions, sheriffs, constables, and other officers whose general duties are confined to a single county, as well as retired supreme court justices and retired inferior court or general sessions judges are filed with the county clerk. (T.C.A. § 8-18-109).
Contact information for county clerks can be found on the Administrative Office of the Courts website at www.tncourts.gov