Van Hollen, Cardin Praise Bipartisan Confirmation of Judge Adam Abelson for the U.S. District Court for Maryland

U.S. Senators Chirs Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today applauded the bipartisan Senate confirmation of Magistrate Judge Adam Abelson to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Judge Abelson fills the seat of former Chief Judge James K. Bredar, who took senior status in April of this year. He was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in July following a June hearing.

“As a magistrate judge, a leader in the Baltimore legal community, and an attorney with extensive experience in private practice and pro bono work, Judge Adam Abelson has exemplified integrity and a deep dedication to justice throughout his career. Senator Cardin and I recommended him to President Biden because we knew these qualities and qualifications position him to serve Marylanders well on the U.S. District Court in Maryland. I was pleased to support Judge Abelson’s confirmation in the Senate today, and I’m grateful to him and his family for their commitment to public service,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Congratulations to Judge Abelson and his family on his elevation to the District Court of Maryland. He is a lifelong public servant with diverse experiences and deep ties to Baltimore.  Senator Van Hollen and I recommended him to President Biden for nomination because we know he meets the highest standards of integrity, skill and fidelity to the rule of law,” said Senator Cardin. “I am confident that Judge Abelson will safeguard the rights of all Marylanders and uphold the Constitution.”

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.

In September 2023, Judge Abelson was sworn in as a United States Magistrate Judge and sits in Baltimore. As a sitting federal Magistrate Judge, Judge Abelson presides over criminal preliminary criminal proceedings, including initial appearances, detention hearings, and arraignments.  He handles federal misdemeanor offenses, and reviews applications for search and arrest warrants, pen registers, and trap and trace devices.  On the civil side, he presides over civil proceedings by consent of the parties, conducts settlement conferences in civil lawsuits, and decides discovery disputes and non-dispositive motions.