Broadening the Bench: Legal Service Providers and the Path to Judgeships
Broadening the Bench: Legal Service Providers and the Path to Judgeships
Room 349: 9:45 AM to 11:00 AM
Legal service providers—civil legal aid attorneys, immigration and housing advocates, and community-based practitioners—bring invaluable client-centered expertise to the judiciary, yet often face opaque processes and systemic barriers when seeking judicial roles. This session will demystify pathways to the bench by explaining how judicial selection and appointment systems work, identifying what experience is most valued, and showing participants how to translate their legal services background into competencies sought in judicial evaluations. Presenters will offer practical guidance on preparing strong applications, cultivating references and mentorship, building a professional profile, and navigating political dynamics, while also addressing equity issues within judicial pipelines and the importance of increasing representation from legal services. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of the steps involved and an actionable roadmap for pursuing judicial service rooted in community-focused values.
Panelists:
- Justice Angela M. Eaves, Supreme Court of Maryland
- Rebecca Fleming, Turnbull, Nicholson, and Sanders
- Hon. Troy K. Hill, Circuit Court for Baltimore City
- Jennifer Katz, Governor Wes Moore's Office of Legal Counsel
- Michelle Siri, Maryland Legal Services Corporation
Moderator: Hon. Michael W. Siri, District Court of Maryland in Baltimore County