The judges of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland are pleased to announce their appointment of Ajmel A. Quereshi to the position of United States Magistrate Judge. Mr. Quereshi will take the oath of office during an informal ceremony on April 18, 2022. A formal ceremony will be held at a later date in the Greenbelt Courthouse.
Mr. Quereshi, the son of two Pakistani-American immigrants, received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, English, and History from Marquette University, cum laude. He received his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. After graduation from law school, he clerked for the Honorable Damon J. Keith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the Honorable James G. Carr of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. In between his clerkships, he served as a Skadden Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland. His time at the ACLU of Maryland was recognized by the Maryland Daily Record, which named him a member of its inaugural “Maryland VIP List” which recognizes Maryland business and legal leaders.
Shortly thereafter, he accepted a position as Visiting Assistant Professor and Director of the Civil Rights Clinic at Howard University School of Law. While at Howard, he also taught courses in Torts and Federal Civil Rights and Appellate Litigation. Although he left full-time employment at Howard in 2013, he continued to direct the Civil Rights Clinic for a significant part of the last decade. In 2016, his commitment to teaching and mentorship was recognized by Harvard Law School, which awarded him a Wasserstein Fellowship – a recognition for lawyers who have committed to mentoring junior lawyers committed to public service. Additionally, Boston College Law School awarded him a Rappaport Fellowship, which recognizes lawyers who have developed an expertise in the intersection of law and public policy. After leaving Howard, Mr. Quereshi served as staff counsel at the ACLU’s National Prison Project. In 2015, Mr. Quereshi joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, where he serves as Senior Counsel.
Mr. Quereshi has lectured at several law schools around the country and his work has been recognized by various groups, including most recently Marquette University’s Alumni Association, which awarded him and his wife, Jill Rauh Quereshi, the Spirit of Marquette Award.
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 to be filled by Mr. Quereshi became open when U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day announced his retirement effective April 14, 2022, after more than 25 years of service with the Court. In anticipation of Judge Day’s retirement, 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. Mr. Quereshi was selected from this slate.