COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS

FORMER JUDGES

FORMER CHIEF JUDGE


[photo, Patrick L. Woodward, Court of Special Appeals Judge] PATRICK L. WOODWARD
Chief Judge, Court of Special Appeals, 2017-18

Chief Judge, Court of Special Appeals, 7th Appellate Judicial Circuit (Montgomery County), May 6, 2017 to November 28, 2018 (Judge, May 26, 2005 to May 6, 2017). Retired November 28, 2018. Senior Judge since November 29, 2018. Chair, Foster-Care Court-Improvement Implementation Committee, 1997-2015 (chair, representation subcommittee, 1997-2004; chair, statistics & judicial information systems subcommittee, 2004-12; chair, legislative policy & legal research subcommittee, 2012-15; chair, quality assurance & improvement subcommittee, 2012-15). Board of Directors, Judicial Institute of Maryland, 1997-2015. Chair, Commission on Judicial Disabilities, 2007-11. Member, Judicial Compensation Committee, 2008-12, and Legislative Committee, 2011-17, Maryland Judicial Conference. Member, Juvenile Law Committee, 2016-17 (chair, foster care court improvement program subcommittee, 2015-17), Judicial Council. Member, Judicial Council, 2017-18 (executive committee, 2017-18).


Associate Judge, Montgomery County Circuit Court, 6th Judicial Circuit, May 7, 1998 to May 25, 2005. Member, Public Awareness Committee, Maryland Judicial Conference, 1998-2001.

Associate Judge, District Court of Maryland, District 6, Montgomery County, March 8, 1991 to May 6, 1998. Chair, Foster-Care Court-Improvement Project Advisory Committee, 1994-97.

Board of Appeals, City of Rockville, 1982-91 (chair, 1984, 1987). Chair, Neighborhood Planning Advisory Group, Planning Area 4, City of Rockville, 1986-88. Chair, Goals Task Force, City of Rockville, 1988-89. Member, Sensitivity Awareness Day Task Force of Montgomery County Council, 1988-91 (vice-chair, 1991).

Born in Bethesda, Maryland. Attended Landon School, Bethesda, Maryland ; Princeton University, A.B., 1970; Vanderbilt University School of Law, J.D., 1973. Admitted to Maryland Bar, 1973. Law clerk to Chief Judge Edward S. Northrop, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 1973-74. Served in U.S. Army Reserve (captain), 1974-75. Associate, Law Offices of Rourke J. Sheehan, 1974-78. Partner, Sheehan & Woodward, 1978-80. Partner, Jackson, Campbell & Parkinson, and Director, Jackson & Campbell, P.C., 1980-87. Sole practitioner, 1987-91. Member, Maryland State Bar Association; Montgomery County Bar Association (executive committee, 1981-82, 1988-90). President, West End Citizens Association, 1984-86. President, Rotary Club of Rockville, 1987-88. Vice-President, Jerusalem-Mt. Pleasant Senior Citizens Housing Corporation, 1987-91. President, Montgomery Inn of Court, 1996-97. Operating Vice-President, Montgomery County Historical Society, 1997-2000 (board of directors, 1988-90, 1991-2001). Adjunct faculty, Washington College of Law, The American University. President's Citation, Montgomery County, Maryland Bar Foundation, 1986. Champion for Children Award, Maryland Citizen Board for Review of Foster Care for Children, 1996. Outstanding Jurist Award, Montgomery County Bar Association, 1997. Maryland Leadership in Law Award, Daily Record, 2007. Lifelong member, Rockville United Methodist Church, Rockville, Maryland.

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