N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-753: Additional administrative law judges; appointment; specialization.

The Chief Administrative Law Judge shall appoint additional administrative law judges to serve in the Office of Administrative Hearings in such numbers as the General Assembly provides. No person shall be appointed or designated an administrative law judge except as provided in this Article.

The Chief Administrative Law Judge may designate certain administrative law judges as having the experience and expertise to preside at specific types of contested cases and assign only these designated administrative law judges to preside at those cases. (1985, c. 746, s. 2; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1022, ss. 4, 6(2); 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1111, ss. 24, 25; 1991, c. 103, s. 1.)