State of New Mexico
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ADMINISTRATION
Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor
Robert E. Doucette, JR., Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diana Sandoval-Tapia
Judicial Vacancy Due to Retirement of Judge Leonard Padilla
The New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration announces a vacant judge position in Albuquerque upon the retirement of Judge Leonard Padilla. The position is exempt, with an initial one-year term, and a possible reappointment to a subsequent five-year term. Interested applicants must be licensed by, and in good standing with the New Mexico Supreme Court to practice law in New Mexico, with five years of experience as a practicing attorney. A background check will be performed prior to hiring.
Attorneys interested in applying for the judge vacancy must complete a judicial application and submit it to the WCA along with a resumé and legal writing sample by close of business, Monday, July 15, 2024, to the attention of WCA Director Robert E. Doucette, Jr. Completed application packets should be labeled “WCA Judge Vacancy,” and mailed to the Workers’ Compensation Administration, Attn: Director’s Office, PO Box 27198, Albuquerque, NM, 87125-7198; or transmitted via email to Nicole.Bazzano@wca.nm.gov. For more information, and to obtain the judicial application, visit the WCA’s website, https://workerscomp.nm.gov/WCA-Jobs.
Judge Leonard Padilla brought more than 25 years of legal experience to the WCA when he was appointed in August 2013. He previously worked in both private practice and public service, including 16 years of experience in workers’ compensation law. From 1992 through 1997, he was recognized as a certified specialist in workers’ compensation law by the New Mexico Board of Legal Specialization. Before joining the WCA, Padilla served nine years as chief administrative law judge for the New Mexico State Personnel Office. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1979 from Eastern New Mexico University and received a Juris Doctor degree in 1988 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Judge Padilla’s last official day at the New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration will be August 30, 2024.
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