President

Judge Benes Z. Aldana is the President and CEO of The National Judicial College (NJC), the nation’s premier institution for judicial education. Since 2017, he has led the NJC in advancing judicial excellence through innovative education programs, serving more than 12,000 judges annually across all jurisdictions. Under his leadership, The NJC became the first organization to receive the ABA Rule of Law and Justice Award, a recognition of its vital role in upholding the principles of justice and judicial independence.

Before joining The NJC, Judge Aldana had a distinguished career spanning over two decades in the U.S. military, retiring as a Captain (O-6) in the U.S. Coast Guard after serving as an appellate judge, trial judge and prosecutor. As an Appellate Military Judge for the U.S. Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals, he reviewed complex cases affecting service members’ legal rights. At the trial level, he was selected as Chief Trial Judge and presided over felony-level courts-martial, ensuring due process while overseeing the service’s military judges. Additionally, he served as a military prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, handling a wide range of criminal cases and environmental enforcement matters.

Judge Aldana’s leadership extended to his role as Chief Legal Officer and Staff Judge Advocate for the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans, where he provided legal oversight for operations spanning 26 states, the Gulf, as well as extensive maritime law enforcement missions. His expertise in environmental and maritime law was further refined as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environmental Enforcement Section, where he litigated high-stakes pollution and resource protection cases, securing over $200 million in penalties and cleanup costs.

His global legal impact was significant during his tenure as Chief Counsel of the Legal Engagements Division at U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, where he provided legal guidance on rule-of-law initiatives, security cooperation, and maritime and counter-narcotics operations. In the aftermath of 9/11, Judge Aldana was on the front lines in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, contributing to critical anti-terrorism investigations as the legal advisor to the Department of Defense Criminal Investigation Task Force.

In addition to his judicial and legal expertise, Judge Aldana held senior operational leadership roles in the Coast Guard, including Executive Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle and Commanding Officer of the Personnel Support Services Unit. In these positions, he led large teams, managed multimillion-dollar budgets, and implemented strategic initiatives to enhance regional mission support services, personnel management, and operational readiness, and played a key role in Coast Guard modernization efforts.

Recognized for his military justice expertise, Judge Aldana was nominated by the Secretary of Homeland Security and appointed by the Secretary of Defense to an eight-year term on the Military Justice Review Panel, a congressionally established body responsible for evaluating and improving the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). His contributions to the legal profession and military justice have earned him numerous national honors, including the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Department of Homeland Security General Counsel’s Award of Excellence, the ABA Spirit of Excellence Award, the Senator Daniel Inouye Trailblazer Award, and the Judge of the Year Award from the Asian Bar Association of Washington. He is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an honor reserved for the top 1% of attorneys in each state.

Judge Aldana is also a respected speaker and writer on judicial independence, civility in the courtroom, and the judiciary’s role in democracy. His dedication to excellence continues to shape the judiciary, ensuring its strength, fairness, professionalism, and commitment to the rule of law.