Van Hollen, Cardin Praise Biden Nominee Adam Abelson for Maryland U.S. District Court Seat

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today praised President Joe Biden’s nomination of U.S. Magistrate Judge Adam Abelson to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Judge Abelson has been nominated to fill the vacancy created when U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar took senior status at the end of April.

“Adam Abelson has served the people of Baltimore for more than a decade. He has a proven commitment to equal justice under the law and a strong command of a wide range of legal issues. These qualities coupled with his diversity of experience are exactly what we look for in a federal judge, and that’s why we recommended that President Biden nominate him to the U.S. District Court in Maryland. Judge Abelson’s distinguished record shows he is well prepared to serve with the highest degree of integrity on the federal bench, and we look forward to advancing his nomination in the Senate,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“I’m excited to see Judge Abelson – known to be hard working and even-tempered – elevated to become a U.S. District Judge. He has a lifelong commitment to public service and deep connections to both the non-profit and legal communities in Baltimore,” said Senator Cardin. “It’s important that Judge Abelson brings a tremendous set of diverse legal experiences to the judiciary, including handling both complex civil litigation and criminal defense work. Marylanders should be confident that Judge Abelson will continue to carry out his judicial oath and guarantee equal justice of the law to all parties that come before his courtroom.”

U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE ADAM B. ABELSON

Judge Adam B. Abelson has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland since 2023. Prior to his judicial service, Judge Abelson worked in private practice at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP from 2012 to 2023, rising from associate to partner. He served as a law clerk for Judge Andre M. Davis on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 2011 to 2012 and Judge Catherine C. Blake on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland from 2010 to 2011. Judge Abelson received his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 2010 and his B.A., cum laude, from Princeton University in 2005.

Before law school, Abelson served in Santiago, Chile as a research fellow for Human Rights Watch and the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. 

While a litigator with Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, Abelson represented clients in complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, and government investigations. He was named a 2020 Young Lawyer of the Year by The American Lawyer, one of five nationwide. He maintained an active pro bono practice and is deeply involved in the community and legal profession. He serves as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Working Group on Building Public Trust in the American Justice System, for which he worked to develop the ABA’s Ten Guidelines on Court Fines and Fees and coordinated its development of the ABA’s Principles on Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Policies.  He has served on the board of the Job Opportunities Task Force since 2017, including serving as the Vice Chair, and as a board member and officer of the Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.