Former Maryland Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Karen Abrams. (Submitted photo)LEONARDTOWN, Md. (January 13, 2019)—Former Maryland Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Karen Abrams, has been selected by the St. Mary's County Commission for Women to receive the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Judge Abrams' community activities have included membership on the following boards: United Way of St. Mary's County, St. Mary's Nursing Center Foundation, Calvert Marine Museum and Calvert Marine Museum Society, Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust and Historic St. Mary's City Foundation.
She has served with the Inquiry Committee of the Attorney Grievance Commission, the Public Defender Regional Advisory Board, the Attorney Character Committee for St. Mary's County, the Maryland Council of School Board Attorneys and the Family Violence Coordinating Council.
Judge Abrams was integral in founding the St. Mary's County Substance Abuse Recovery. The Substance Abuse Recovery Court promotes abstinence while addressing the unique needs of persons who have criminal records and addiction problems. With a team of professionals she has recruited, Judge Abrams and the recovery court have reduced the rate of incarceration and recidivism. Moreover, St. Mary's County has seen a cost savings of $84 per person per day, and more than $25,000 per person annually.
Judge Abrams has a varied professional background that is reflected in her approach to seeking compassionate and creative solutions to difficult situations. With the heart of a social worker, the intellect of an attorney and the discernment of a judge, she has improved the lives of St. Mary's County citizens in many ways.
She has represented many private and corporate clients over the course of her 23 years of practice, as well as the St. Mary's County Board of Education, the St. Mary's County Board of Elections, the St. Mary's County Alcohol Beverage Board, St. Mary's Nursing Center, St. Mary's Home for the Elderly and the Town of Leonardtown.
Judge Abrams is a member of the Seventh Circuit Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commission, the Inquiry Committee of the Attorney Grievance Commission and the Conference of Circuit Court Judges, as well as the American Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association, St. Mary's County Bar Association, Women's Bar Association of Maryland and the Maryland Bar Foundation. Judge Abrams is a recipient of the Daily Record's Leadership in Law Award.
Judge Abrams will be honored at the Commission for Women's Annual Banquet on Thursday March 14, 2019, at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center.