ABSTRACT
Judge Wanda K. Heard served as an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City from 1999 to 2017 and as Chief Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City from 2017 through 2019. She was the first woman to serve as Chief Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, one of the busiest trial courts in the State of Maryland, handling approximately 35,000 cases annually. As an African American woman, Judge Heard is a trailblazer. Her energy and commitment are extraordinary. Prior to her appointment to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in 1999 and subsequent election to the position, Judge Heard had a distinguished legal career including positions in the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, US Attorney’s Office, and Federal Public Defender. Judge Heard’s life story is one of excellence and perseverance. Her work reflects a commitment to justice, the rule of law, the legal profession, the community, and those who appeared before her. As an African American woman, Judge Heard continually confronted the twin challenges of racial and gender discrimination. Nevertheless, she achieved great professional success. While generally satisfied with developments in the Maryland state and US legal system, Judge Heard expressed concerns with regard to the threat to the rule of law and lack of diversity in the federal courts of this nation, including Maryland.
