Judge Deborah K. Chasanow: Maryland's Longest-Serving Female Federal Judge
Judge Deborah K. Chasanow is the longest-serving female judge on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1948 and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, Judge Chasanow's entry into public service was inspired by her proximity to federal government workers while growing up.
Judge Chasanow graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a political science degree from Douglass College at Rutgers University in 1970 and earned her J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1974. Upon graduation, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge David L. Cahoon of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, an experience she found invaluable.
Judge Deborah K. Chasanow’s Early Career in Public Service
Following her clerkship, Deborah K. Chasanow entered private practice in 1975 at the Washington, D.C. firm of Cole and Groner before joining the Maryland Attorney General's Office in the Criminal Appeals Division that same year. She rose to become Chief of the Criminal Appeals Division in 1979, a role she held until 1987. Judge Chasanow credits the time she spent in the Attorney General's Office as strong preparation for her career on the bench.
During this period, she was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1974, the District of Columbia Bar in 1975, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in 1976, and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar in 1979.
Appointment to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
It was Judge Chasanow's husband's appointment to Maryland's Court of Appeals, now known as the Supreme Court of Maryland, that prompted her to apply for a magistrate judge position at the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She was appointed United States Magistrate Judge in 1987 and served in that role until 1993, when President Bill Clinton nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The nomination was made on August 6, 1993. Later, the Senate confirmed her nomination on October 18, 1993, and Judge Chasanow received her commission on October 20, 1993.
On January 4, 2010, Judge Chasanow became Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, a position she held until October 3, 2014, when she took senior status. As Chief Judge, she was responsible for the administrative oversight of the Court's Baltimore and Greenbelt divisions, including case assignment, supervision of court staff and facilities, management of the judicial budget, and representation of the Court in policy matters and inter-branch relations. Her leadership coincided with a period of steady increases in caseload management, amid national trends in federal litigation following the 2008 financial crisis.
Judge Deborah K. Chasanow Remains Active in the Maryland Legal Community
Judge Chasanow's legacy includes significant rulings in civil rights, criminal, and discrimination cases. She has also lent her time to numerous committees of the Judicial Conference, the principal policymaking body for the federal court system.
Beyond the bench, Judge Chasanow has been an active member of the legal community. She is a member of the Prince George's County Bar Association, the Women's Bar Association, the National Association of Women Judges, the District Judges' Association, and the Lawyers' Round Table.
As a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, she served on its committee on pattern jury instructions (criminal), chaired the section on criminal law and practice, and served as a council member on the section on litigation. She is also a past president of the Marlborough American Inn of Court.
The Federal Bar Association Maryland Chapter is proud of those who contribute to the Maryland legal community. To further learn about the historical figures who dedicated their lives to the rule of law, please explore our Chapter Spotlights.
