Lillian Tenorio
GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios on Wednesday nominated Deputy Attorney General Lilian Ada Tenorio to the Superior Court bench.
If confirmed, Tenorio will fill the seat of Associate Judge Wesley Bogdan, who intends to retire in December.
“Deputy Attorney General Lillian Tenorio is a dedicated public servant with extensive professional experience who has served the people of the Northern Marianas in a number of capacities for decades,” the governor said in a statement.
“In her work in the legislative and executive branches of the CNMI, she has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of both local and federal laws and a commitment to upholding the principles of justice,” Palacios added.
“I am confident that she will be an effective Superior Court judge who will continue to strengthen the bench at the judiciary,” he said.
As deputy AG, Tenorio supervises the divisions within the Office of the Attorney General and serves as the primary legal counsel for the departments of the executive branch.
Prior to joining the OAG in 2015, she owned and operated a law firm that engaged in a wide range of areas of law, including corporate counseling, public policy consulting, administrative law, public utilities, government procurement and contracts, estate planning, land transactions, civil litigation and family law.
During this time, she also taught as an adjunct instructor at Northern Marianas College.
Between 2002 and 2004, Tenorio served as legal counsel for the House of Representatives. She drafted legislation, wrote resolutions and committee reports on major bills, researched and drafted memoranda on numerous legal issues, and supervised legislative analysts.
Tenorio also worked as a law clerk to CNMI Supreme Court Justice John A. Manglona from 1999 to 2001.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis in 1984, and earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1999. She is also the recipient of the Julia Raymond McCulloch Memorial Award for excellence in Constitutional Law.
Tenorio was admitted to the CNMI Bar in 2000 and is an inactive member of the State of New Mexico Bar.
