Chief Administrative Law Judge's Biography

Chung K. Pak was reappointed Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings ("OAH") by Governor Wes Moore, with the advice and consent of the Maryland Senate, for a six (6) year term from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2031. He was initially appointed in 2020 by Governor Lawrence Hogan Jr. Chief Judge Pak is the first person of color and the first Asian American to hold this position in Maryland. He oversees all OAH operations, managing a budget of slightly over $21 million and a staff of 114, including 55 Administrative Law Judges.

Under his leadership, the OAH has achieved significant milestones, including:

• Operational Excellence: Maintaining a 99.75% timeliness rate for written decisions while processing over 30,000 cases annually.
• Modernization: Implementing remote and hybrid hearing options, which reduced default rates by 30% and increased access to justice.
• Public Satisfaction: Maintaining a customer satisfaction rating of over 85.5%.
• Strategic Initiatives: Leading the implementation of the Walter Lomax Act and the Maryland Police Accountability Act, and strengthening cybersecurity protocols.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Receiving a favorable audit with no findings from the Office of Legislative Audit.

Chief Judge Pak’s extensive legal career includes over 23 years as an Administrative Patent Judge at the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board and many years of experience as corporate intellectual property counsel. As an Administrative Patent Judge, he adjudicated over 6,000 patent cases involving complex technical and legal issues and wrote over 2000 opinions eligible for appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

He was also a dedicated community leader, recognized for his work in social justice and civil rights. Known as a consensus and bridge builder, Chief Judge Pak worked tirelessly with Asian-Pacific American, Latin American and African American groups, as well as labor, religious, women, and civil rights groups, on social justice issues such as economic empowerment, healthcare, citizenship and voting rights. He co-chaired the Montgomery County Maryland Branch NAACP Multicultural Community Partnership Steering Committee, which consisted of representatives from twenty-six racial, ethnic and/or religious organizations, to promote better understanding among different racial, religious, and cultural communities and reduce or eliminate discrimination based on race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, disability, gender, and sexual/gender identity. He also helped bring diverse community leaders together to co-found Communities United Against Hate to combat hate crimes, bigotry and discrimination based on race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, disability, gender, and sexual/gender identity. He also served as a Board or Committee member of Committee for Montgomery, Progressive Maryland, Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board, Montgomery County Maryland Chapter NAACP, Asian American Executive Network, Department of Commerce Senior Executive Association, John F. Kennedy High School Advisory Committee, and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Diversity Council.

In acknowledgment of his work, he received numerous awards and recognitions, including the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award, Asian American Trailblazer for the Maryland Judiciary Award, Montgomery County, Maryland Branch NAACP Outstanding Leadership Medal, Maryland Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, International Leadership Foundation Leadership Award, Montgomery County Police Special Recognition Award, Asian American Chamber of Commerce Community Leader Award, Progressive Maryland Progressive Leader Award, Kelsey Cooke Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service, Federal Asian Pacific American Council Outstanding Leadership Award, and the ROTC Superior Cadet Medal (Direction of Secretary of Army). He was also inducted into the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame for his significant contributions in reducing and/or eliminating discrimination. In one of the newspaper articles, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (now retired) said, “Judge Pak has spent a lifetime fighting injustice and inequality. His story is truly an embodiment of leadership with compassion and commitment to public service.”

He holds a Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University. He is also admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Maryland Bar, the Virginia Bar, the D.C. Bar, and the Patent Bar.

Message from Chief Administrative Law Judge
Chung K. Pak

It is my honor to welcome you to Maryland's Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). The OAH takes great pride in serving those who require adjudication or mediation through its impartial hearing body designed by the Legislature to provide independent judges for resolving all types of disputes stemming from actions of Maryland's many executive agencies. These independent judges, referred to as Administrative Law Judges (ALJ), are not affiliated with agencies or Departments from which these disputes arise and are required to provide fair and unbiased hearings consistent with law. These hearings afford Maryland residents an opportunity for due process on actions of agencies or Departments that are before us for review. The OAH prides itself in providing excellent resources, timely and fair adjudication, and mediation for all matters before its ALJs. The OAH is here to serve you in a fair, swift, and accessible manner at all times.

Chief Administrative Law Judge

Chung K. Pak