Judge Kathryn J. DuFour: Maryland's First Female Circuit Court Judge

Judge Kathryn J. DuFour (March 19, 1910 — February 4, 2005) made history as the first female judge in the Maryland Circuit Courts and later its first female chief judge. Over a career spanning decades, she modernized the court system, championed the abolition of the death penalty, and blazed a trail that inspired generations of women in the legal profession. This includes Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman Justice on the Supreme Court, who personally credited DuFour with helping pave the way.