Lillian Ada Tenorio takes oath of office

Lillian Ada Tenorio is officially a full-fledged CNMI Superior Court associate judge after being administered the oath of office during a special investiture ceremony yesterday at the Guma Hustisia building in Susupe.

During the ceremony, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios administered the oath of office for Tenorio.

Palacios, after administering the oath, also took the opportunity to congratulate the new associate judge stating that he has all the confidence in Tenorio as the newest Superior Court judge.

“I’m honored to have been asked to administer the oath of office for our judge Tenorio. I knew Lillian when I was in the lgislature. I knew her capacity, I knew her persona, and as a member of the Legislature, she never let me off the hook. We had very strong-willed members in the Legislature when she was our legal counsel and she never hesitated to tell us when we couldn’t do something. So, I had the confidence in judge Tenorio when I had the privilege to appoint a new judge to the Superior Court of the CNMI after associate judge Bogdan retired. This is indeed a momentous occasion for all of us in this great Commonwealth community. Congratulations judge Tenorio may God bless you, and thank you,” she said.

Tenorio, in her address, thanked all those who helped her along her journey.

“I want to express my gratitude to the Chief Justice Alexandro Castro and Presiding Judge Roberto Naraja and the court staff for organizing this investiture on such short notice, Gov. Palacios for placing his confidence in me, and the Senate voting unanimously to confirm my nomination. I have received, in full measure, support and respect from all corners of the judicial branch; from the justices, judges, the administrative managers, the clerks, you name it. They’ve been so helpful and so welcoming. Thank you. The journey to my presiding in this courtroom was made with many helping hands along the way. From mentors, to colleagues, and professors,” she said.

Tenorio became the fourth female associate judge of the Superior Court after taking the oath of office on Feb. 20, 2024.

She was deputy attorney general for the CNMI from Jan. 31, 2015 to Feb.19, 2024, serving under the first elected attorney general, Edward Manibusan.

Prior to joining the Office of the Attorney General, Tenorio was in private practice as a solo practitioner from July 2004 to Jan. 30, 2015.

She has served as legal counsel for the House of Representatives (2002-2004) and as the law clerk to John A. Mangloña, Justice of the Supreme Court of the CNMI.

Tenorio received her B.A. from the University of California, Davis in 1984. She earned her J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1999, and was the recipient of the Julia Raymond McCulloch Memorial Award for Constitutional Law and the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for the Study of Constitutional Law.

Tenorio is licensed to practice in the CNMI before the CNMI Superior Court and Supreme Court and the Federal District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. She is an inactive member of the State of New Mexico Bar.

Tenorio has served as president of the CNMI Bar Association and was a member of the disciplinary committee. She was also a member of the board of directors of the Micronesian Legal Services Corp. and the NMI Humanities Council. She has been an adjunct instructor at the Northern Marianas College.