Norton, a retired United States Bankruptcy Judge (Atlanta, Georgia, 1971-85), is the founder of Norton Publications on Bankruptcy Law, Inc. As a Judge he was Chairman of the Rules Committee, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges to advise the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules (1980-83), and served on the faculty of the Federal Judicial Center (1976-80).

Judge Norton is the Editor-in-Chief of Norton Bankruptcy Law and Practice, 2d; Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law, and Norton Bankruptcy Law Adviser. He is also the author of Real Property Arrangements, Chapter XII, Federal Bankruptcy Act, 1976, and Evidence in Trials Under the Federal Bankruptcy Act, 1977 (Harrison & Co.) .

Judge Norton was an Adjunct Professor, Emory University Law School, and also served as founder, director, executive committee, and president of the American Bankruptcy Institute, as well as founder, fellow, director, and officer of the American College of Bankruptcy. In addition, he served as institute chairman for the following organizations: the Pacific Bankruptcy Law Institute (San Franscisco, CA); the Western Mountains Bankruptcy Law Institute (Jackson Hole, WY); the Northeast Bankruptcy Law Institute (Quebec, Canada); the Norton Bankruptcy Litigation Institute I (Park City, UT); the Norton Bankruptcy Litigation Institute II (Las Vegas, NV); the Corporate Counsel Bankruptcy Law Institute (Washington, D.C.); and the George Treister Bankruptcy Recent Development Institute.