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Adam B. Abelson, District Judge

101 West Lombard Street
Chambers 7D
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 962-7750

District Judge Adam B. Abelson was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio.  He graduated from Princeton University, cum laude, and the New York University School of Law, magna cum laude, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif.  Before law school, Judge Abelson served in Santiago, Chile as a research fellow for Human Rights Watch and the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales.  Judge Abelson began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Catherine C. Blake, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and the Honorable Andre M. Davis, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (ret.). 

Judge Abelson previously served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the District of Maryland since September 2023.  Before joining the Court, Judge Abelson worked as a litigator with the law firm Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, where he represented clients in complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, and government investigations.  Judge Abelson was named a 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.  

President Biden nominated Judge Abelson on May 8, 2024, to fill the vacancy created when the Honorable James K. Bredar assumed senior status.  The Senate confirmed Judge Abelson’s nomination on September 10, 2024, and President Biden signed his commission on September 12, 2024.

Judge Abelson was sworn in as a District Judge on September 16, 2024.