![[photo, Mary Ellen Barbera, Chief Judge, Maryland Court of Appeals]](/msa/mdmanual/29ap/images/1198-1-07924b.jpg)
MARY ELLEN BARBERA, Chief Judge, Court of Appeals, since July 8, 2013 (Judge, 7th Appellate Judicial Circuit, Montgomery County, September 2, 2008-). Chair, Board of Directors, Judicial Institute of Maryland, 2009-14. Member, Maryland Access to Justice Commission, 2009-14. Chair, Advisory Board, Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office, 2013-15 (member, 2012-15). Chair, Maryland Judicial Conference, 2013- (chair, judicial council, 2013-). Chair, Library Committee, Maryland State Law Library, 2013-. Member, Judges, Masters and Juvenile Justice Committee, 2013-. Chair, Hall of Records Commission, 2013-. Chair, Public Trust and Confidence Implementation Committee, 2013-. Chair, Judicial Cabinet, 2013-. Chair, Technology Oversight Board, 2013-15. Member, Governor's Commission to Reform Maryland's Pretrial System, 2014.
Assistant Attorney General, 1985-89, and Deputy Chief, Criminal Appeals Division, 1989-98, Office of Attorney General. Member, Task Force to Examine Crime Victims' Rights Laws in Maryland, 1995-2003. Legal Counsel, Office of Governor, 1999-2002 (deputy legal counsel, 1998-99). Member, Public Safety Article Review Committee, 1999-2003.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, 1951. Towson State College, B.S. (early childhood education), cum laude, 1975. Teacher, Baltimore City Public School System, 1975-84. University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., 1984. Law clerk to Judge Robert L. Karwacki, Court of Special Appeals, 1984-85. Admitted to Maryland Bar, 1984. Member, Maryland State Bar Association (member, criminal law & practice section council, 1989-, chair, 1994-95; judicial administration section; litigation law section; standing committee to draft pattern jury instructions in criminal cases; special committee on anti-discrimination matters, 2002; special committee on citizenship law-related education program, 2007-; chair, special committee to study jury selection reform); Montgomery County Bar Association (board of directors); Howard County Bar Association; Women's Bar Association of Maryland. Fellow, Maryland Bar Foundation, 2002-; National Association of Women Judges, 2003-; Executive Council, Montgomery County Inns of Court, 2005-; Maryland - Leningrad Steering Committee, International Rule of Law Consortium (formerly Russian American Rule of Law Consortium), 2007-. Member, Serjeants' Inn Law Club; Wranglers Law Club. Adjunct faculty (criminal procedure), Washington College of Law, The American University, 1993-. Former adjunct faculty (appellate advocacy & legal writing), University of Baltimore School of Law. Outstanding Teaching by an Adjunct Faculty Member Award, University of Baltimore School of Law, 1998. Distinguished Service Award, Maryland State's Attorneys' Association, 1998. Maryland Leadership in Law Award, Daily Record, 2007. Maryland's Top 100 Women, Daily Record, 2008. Robert C. Heeney Award, Criminal Law Section, Maryland State Bar Association, 2008. Rita C. Davidson Award, Maryland State Bar Association, 2011. Advancement of Professional Competence Award, Maryland Bar Foundation, 2012. Outstanding Achievement Award, Maryland Hispanic Bar Association, 2013.
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