Van Hollen, Cardin Praise Senate Confirmation of Judge Deborah Boardman for U.S. District Court of Maryland

U.S. Senators Chris Van Holle and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today praised the Senate's confirmation of U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Boardman to be a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Maryland. 

“Judge Deborah Boardman is an incredibly qualified and experienced jurist and we look forward to her years of service as a U.S. District Judge,” the senators said after the confirmation vote. “As a sitting magistrate judge and former public defender in Maryland, we know that Judge Boardman will deliver equal justice for all. We are confident that she will bring to the courtroom fairness and respect to Marylanders seeking justice.”

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary evaluated the professional qualifications of Judge Boardman, including her integrity, professional competence, and judicial temperament. The Standing Committee gave Judge Boardman a unanimous rating of “Well Qualified,” the highest possible rating.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Boardman was nominated to fill the future vacancy created when Judge Richard Bennett, appointed by President Bush in 2003, announced his intention to take senior status upon the confirmation of his successor.  Senators Van Hollen and Cardin recommended Judge Boardman’s nomination to President Biden, who nominated her on March 30, 2021. The Senate Judiciary Committee held her confirmation hearing on May 12, 2021, and favorably reported her nomination to the full Senate on June 10, 2021.

U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE DEBORAH BOARDMAN

Judge Boardman was born in Silver Spring and raised in Maryland.  She attended Frederick County public schools. She received her undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Villanova University. After college, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Amman, Jordan. She received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a member of The Virginia Law Review. Upon graduation, she was a law clerk for the Honorable James C. Cacheris of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

For six years, Judge Boardman was an associate at Hogan & Hartson LLP (now Hogan Lovells) in Washington, DC, where she practiced complex commercial litigation. She had an active pro bono practice and was selected to serve as the senior associate in Hogan’s pro bono department. In 2008, Judge Boardman joined the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the District of Maryland. In 2015, she was named the First Assistant Federal Public Defender. During her 11-year tenure with the Federal Defender’s office, Judge Boardman represented individuals charged with federal crimes in the Greenbelt and Baltimore courthouses. 

She was appointed as a Magistrate Judge in 2019.  Judge Boardman currently resides in Baltimore.