Who’s New at OAH

By the Communications Committee

The past two years have changed not only where and how we work, but with whom we work. After several employee retirements and departures, the Office of Administrative Hearings has welcomed the following new members to the administrative bench:

The Honorable Michael C. Byrne was appointed and sworn in as an Administrative Law Judge on June 1, 2020. Judge Byrne’s office is located in the OAH Raleigh office. Before becoming an Administrative Law Judge, Judge Byrne was a solo practitioner for many years representing state employees and law enforcement officers in administrative litigation. He is licensed to practice in the State of North Carolina as well as admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Byrne received a J.D. from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law and received a B.A. from North Carolina State University.

The Honorable Karlene Turrentine was appointed and sworn in as an Administrative Law Judge on December 15, 2020. Judge Turrentine’s office is located in the OAH Raleigh office. Prior to being appointed, Judge Turrentine was a partner in Kitchen & Turrentine, PLLC, specializing in administrative and constitutional law affecting municipal and quasi-municipal government, business law and litigation. Before that, she served for seven years as the Warren County Attorney and general counsel to all County departments. Prior to going into private practice, Judge Turrentine clerked for two years at the North Carolina Court of Appeals for the Honorable Robert C. Hunter, Retired (“Mountain Bob”) and the Honorable James A. Wynn (now of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals). Judge Turrentine received her J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law and a B.A. from North Carolina Central University.

The Honorable Linda F. Nelson was appointed and sworn in as an Administrative Law Judge on August 2, 2021. Judge Nelson’s office is located in the OAH Raleigh office. Judge Nelson previously worked as an investment lawyer for the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer, State Employee Pension Fund and State Health Plan, as well as a staff attorney for the Hazardous Waste Section of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Before that, she practiced corporate tax law with the former Maupin Taylor Ellis and Adams law firm in Raleigh, and at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles, California. Judge Nelson received her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley Law School, and an A.B. from Harvard University.

The Honorable Jonathan S. Dills was sworn in as an Administrative Law Judge on September 1, 2021. Judge Dills’ office is located in the Guilford County Courthouse in High Point, NC. Judge Dills began his career litigating at Tuggle Duggins in Greensboro, NC. In 1996, he opened a boutique practice in downtown Winston-Salem. Over his career, he litigated at all levels of state trial and appellate courts, and in the federal trial courts, primarily representing clients in civil superior court litigation. Judge Dills received his J.D. from the UNC School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

On July 1, 2022, the Office of Administrative Hearings will welcome Samuel Morris as an Administrative Law Judge in OAH’s new office located in the Onslow County Courthouse, Jacksonville. Previously, Judge Morris worked as a litigation attorney with Harvell and Collins, PA in Morehead City, NC.  Before private practice, he worked as a law clerk to Justice Paul M. Newby at the Supreme Court of North Carolina as well as interned with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Judge Morris received a J.D. from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law and a B.A. from East Carolina University.