Chief Judge Julian Mann III (ret.), a member of the HPU Law extended faculty, served eight terms from 1989-2021 as North Carolina’s Chief Administrative Law Judge and Director of the Office of Administrative Hearings. Due to his esteemed record of service, at his retirement, he was the longest-serving chief administrative law judge in North Carolina and the longest-serving for any central hearing agency in the United States.
On August 5, 2023, Chief Judge Mann made history again by becoming the new Chair of the American Bar Association Judicial Division. The ABA Judicial Division has a broad reach, as it is “the ABA’s home to judges, lawyers, tribal members, court administrators, academics, and students interested in the courts and the justice system.”
Chief Judge Mann was sworn in as Chair at the ABA’s Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. His oath of office was administered by HPU Law Founding Dean and Professor of Law, former Chief Justice Mark Martin. Dean Martin, who chaired the Judicial Division from 2013-14, was the final North Carolina Chief Justice to appoint Chief Judge Mann as Chief Administrative Law Judge and his choice to administer the oath of office.
That oath read:
I, Julian Mann III, do solemnly swear that I will uphold the principles of the United States Constitution and the policies of the American Bar Association Judicial Division, and duly discharge and perform all duties incumbent upon me as Chair of the division, which include advancing the mission of the judicial agenda, improving the administration of justice, and promoting the rule of law: So help me God.
After his appointment, Chief Judge Mann said, “My mission for the judges and lawyers of the Judicial Division is to assist them in implementing the substance of Rule 102 of the Federal Rules of Evidence by promoting the ascertainment of truth and securing a just determination.” Dean Martin added, “Chief Judge Mann represents the best of public service in the state of North Carolina. He served our state faithfully and with excellence for nearly 32 years; and he will bring that same spirit of service, excellence, and integrity to this important role as Chair of the Judicial Division.”
Chief Judge Mann is pictured with his wife Diane Mann while Dean Martin administers the oath of office.