The judges of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland are pleased to announce that they have appointed J. Mark Coulson to the position of United States Magistrate Judge.  Mr. Coulson will take the oath of office at an informal ceremony on August 1, 2014, and will be assigned to the United States Courthouse in Baltimore, Maryland.  A formal ceremony will be held at a later date.

Mr. Coulson, 51, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but raised in Maryland.  He resides in Towson, Maryland with his wife, Patti Flowers‐Coulson and two teenage sons.  He received his undergraduate degree from La Salle University, magna cum laude, and his law degree from the Duke University School of Law, Order of the Coif.  Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Coulson accepted a position with Miles & Stockbridge P.C. in Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Coulson has been a Principal at Miles & Stockbridge since 2000, and has focused his practice on products liability, medical malpractice and E‐discovery issues.  Mr. Coulson was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2010.

United States Magistrate Judges are appointed by the district judges for a term of eight years and are eligible for reappointment to successive terms.  The position filled by Mr. Coulson became open when U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan K. Gauvey announced her retirement from the bench effective July 13, 2014.  A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community reviewed all qualified applications before recommending a slate of candidates to the full bench for review.