Litigation attorney representing clients in trials before Maryland Circuit and District Courts and U.S. District Court as well as Courts in the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey on a pro hac basis. Brief and argue cases before Maryland Court of Appeals and Court of Special Appeals and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Practice before the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission, Social Security Administration and other State and Federal Agencies. Maintain large volume of cases involving workers' compensation, social security disability, automobile accidents, products liability, medical malpractice, and other personal injury matters. Experience at all levels of litigation from interviews, investigation, discovery, deposition, motion hearings to trials and appeals. Research and write motions, briefs, complaints and other legal documents.
Conduct mediations, neutral case evaluations, binding arbitration, settlement conferences and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Court Appointed Mediator by Circuit Court for Frederick County since 2000 and by Circuit Court for Washington County since 2008.
Frederick Magazine Attorney's Attorney in Social Security Disability and Workers' Compensation - all Attorney Polls 2003 through present.
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating - Distinguish, Meets Very High Criteria of General Ethical Standards.
Researched and wrote trial memoranda, briefs and motions. Organized discovery and investigation material. Cases involved primarily complex, high profile criminal actions. Argued motions and handled arraignments, plea negotiations, sentencings and conferences. Tried cases in municipal court.
Education
1982 to 1985: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Law, Camden, New Jersey, Juris Doctorate, May 1985
Summer and Third Year Internship with the Office of the United States Attorney, Camden, New Jersey. Third year law clerk position for general civil practice law firm. Participant in Trial Advocacy, Stratton Advanced Moot Court, and First Year Moot Court Competition.
1978 to 1982: The American University, Washington, D.C. Bachelor of Arts, May 1982, cum laude
History and Secondary Education Majors with Honors
Honors: Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Alpha Theta, Mortar Board
Thesis: The Elmira Prison Camp, 1864-1865. (The American University
Representative at Regional Phi Alpha Theta History Papers Competition.)
Student Teacher: Woodward High School, Rockville, Maryland, Fall 1981
Licenses and Memberships
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit - August 15, 1997
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland - September 25, 1987
- Maryland Court of Appeals - June 18, 1987 [198706010279]
- United States District Court for the District of New Jersey - March 14, 1986
- Supreme Court of New Jersey - January 2, 1986 [22656]
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania - November 22, 1985 [45386]
- Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bar Associations.
- Maryland Association for Justice, Inc.
- National Association of Social Security Claimants' Representatives
- The Bar Association of Frederick County, Maryland, Inc. - 2000 to present
(President Elect - 2012) - (Treasurer - 2010 & 2011)(Secretary - 2009)(Assistant Secretary - 2008)
- (Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee Chairman - 2009 to present)
- (Charity Event Committee 2001-2010)
- (Justice for All Fund Committee 2011)
Lectures and Presentations
- Advanced Mediation Skills - 8 Hour Mediation Re-certification for Mediators Seeking Court
Re-certification pursuant to Maryland Rule 17-104
April 15, 2011 & May 4, 2011 - Frederick, Maryland
May 29, 2009 - Middletown, Maryland & June 19, 2009 - Frederick, Maryland - Mediation Practice in the Court of Frederick County
March 1, 2011 - Meeting of the Bar Association of Frederick County, Maryland, Inc. - “Life After Harris v. Board of Education”, (First Rehabilitation Resources sponsored seminar
section for human resource directors, insurance claim representatives, risk managers,
rehabilitation specialists, attorneys and other legal staff handling workers' compensation claims.)
October 30, 2003 - Workers' Compensation in Maryland and The District of Columbia, (Seminar for human resource
directors, insurance claim representatives, risk managers, rehabilitation specialists, attorneys and
other legal staff handling workers' compensation claims.) February 25, 2000, February 27, 2001,
February 26, 2002, and April 16, 2004 - Workers' Compensation in Maryland, (Program for attorneys, paralegals, adjustors, human
resources professionals, disability and health care counselors.) November 6, 1998. - Mental Stress in the Workplace: Workers' Compensation as a Remedy. Federal Bar Association,
Labor Relations Section. October 4, 1988.
Continuing Legal Education
- Hot Tips in Workers Compensation, Columbia, MD, October 13, 2011
- Medicare Set-Asides. Columbia, MD, March 17, 2011
- Disability Benefits, Columbia, MD, June 18, 2010
- Hot Tips in Workers Compensation, Columbia, MD, May 13, 2010
- Handling a Social Security Case, Baltimore, MD, November 16, 2009
- Advanced Mediation Skills - 8 Hour Mediation Re-certification, May 29, 2009 - Middletown,
Maryland & June 19, 2009 - Frederick, Maryland - “Building a Solid Foundation” - Managing Law Practice Risk, Baltimore, MD, May 19, 2009
- Workers' Compensation - Beyond the Basics, Baltimore, MD, November 11, 2008
- Nursing Home Seminar: Long-term Care Litigation, Columbia, MD, February 29, 2008
Cross Examination at the Movies, Mechanicsburg, PA, December 20, 2007 - Advanced Mediation Techniques, Frederick, MD, June 14, 2007
- Hot Tips in Workers Compensation, Columbia, MD, April 7, 2006
- Smart Practice - Not Malpractice, Baltimore, MD, November 1, 2005
- Advanced Mediation Skills, (eight hour re-certification), Frederick, MD, June 23, 2005
Stress Management for Lawyers, on-line, March 14, 2005 - Advanced Workshop in Personal Injury Disputes Mediation, (eight hour re-certification)
Baltimore, MD, November 21, 2003. - Representing the Governmental Worker, Baltimore November 5, 2003
- Workers' Compensation, Baltimore, MD, June 21, 2002
- Risk Management for Lawyers, Baltimore, MD, October 2, 2001
- Workers' Compensation in Maryland, Baltimore, MD, February 27, 2001
- Mediation Skills, (Forty Hour Certification) Walkersville, MD., October-November, 2000
- Preparing and Trying The Medical Malpractice Case, Philadelphia, PA., December 16,1999
- Practical Steps to Avoid Ethical Pitfalls, Rockville, Maryland, December 17, 1998.
- Workers' Compensation in Maryland, Rockville, Maryland, November 6, 1998.
- Trial of an Automobile Accident Case, Baltimore, , Maryland, October 15, 1998.
- In Search of Addiction, York, Pennsylvania, December 18, 1997.
- The Basics of Will Drafting, Rockville, Maryland, December 12, 1997.
- Preparing for & Conducting a Real Estate Settlement, Baltimore, Maryland, May 21,1997.
- Pennsylvania Civil Practice & Procedure, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1996.
- Planning for Persons with Disabilities, Baltimore, Maryland, November 7, 1996.
- Winning in District Court, Rockville, Maryland, September 12, 1996.
- Fundamentals of Evidence, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 1, 1995.
- Motions Practice, Rockville, Maryland, November 16, 1995
- A Day on Trial, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 4, 1994.
- Ethical Concerns in Today's Practice, Rockville, Maryland, March 27, 1993.
Reported Cases
Hughley v. McDermott, 317 Md. 12, 561 A.2d 1038 (1989)
Garrison v. Shopper Food Warehouse, 82 Md. App. 351, 571 A.2d 878 (1989)
Community Involvement
The Veteran's History Project, Library of Congress, American Folklife Center,
Frederick County Veterans' History Project, 2003 to Present
Director, 2005-2007, Orientation and Training Coordinator, 2008 to Present
Whittier Elementary School, Frederick, Maryland, PTA:
President 1999-2000; Executive Board 1998-2000; Budget Committee 1999-2000;
Safety Committee Co-Chair 1998-1999; Volunteer 1998-present.
Interests
Hiking/Backpacking, Bullseye Pistol Competition, Baseball/Softball, U.S. History, Reading,
Photography.
