The judges of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland are pleased to announce their appointment of Chelsea Jones Crawford to the position of United States Magistrate Judge.  Ms. Crawford took the oath of office during an informal ceremony earlier today.  A formal ceremony will be held at a later date in the Baltimore Courthouse.

Ms. Crawford attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where she obtained a B.A. in Journalism from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism.  After graduation, she worked in local news in Philadelphia and, later, for National Public Radio in Washington, D.C.  She received her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she was a member of the National Moot Court Team and Executive Articles Editor of the University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class.  At graduation, Ms. Crawford received the 2013 Elizabeth Maxwell Carroll Chesnut Prize, known as the “Dean’s Award,” and was awarded Order of the Barristers.

Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Crawford clerked for the Honorable Stephanie A. Gallagher of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and the Honorable Andre M. Davis of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (ret.). 

Ms. Crawford joined Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP in 2015.  She represented individuals and entities in complex civil matters, including federal civil rights litigation, serious personal injury and wrongful death cases, and commercial disputes.  She also maintained a pro bono practice representing defendants in post-conviction matters in Maryland state courts. 

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 Ms. Crawford became open when United States Magistrate Judge Adam B. Abelson was commissioned as a United States District Judge on September 12, 2024.  In anticipation of Judge Abelson’s elevation to district judge, 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.  Ms. Crawford was selected from this slate.