WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) today praised the Senate Judiciary Committee’s 20-1 vote to approve Magistrate Judge Stephanie Gallagher to fill the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. If confirmed, Judge Gallagher will occupy the seat previously held by Judge William D. Quarles, Jr., who announced his retirement effective February 2016. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts previously declared this Maryland seat as a judicial emergency based on the length of the vacancy and the caseload of the court.
“Judge Gallagher’s strong roots in the Maryland legal community and tremendous understanding and respect for the rule of law make her an exceptional nominee,” said Senator Cardin. “She brings incredible experience to the courtroom as a sitting U.S. Magistrate Judge in Baltimore, as well as being a former prosecutor, private law firm attorney, and judicial law clerk. I was pleased to recommend Judge Gallagher’s nomination to both President Obama and President Trump, and I am confident that she will serve the people of Maryland well once confirmed as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland. ”
“Judge Gallagher has worked on behalf of Marylanders for years, and her experience and temperament make her an outstanding nominee for this position,” said Senator Van Hollen. “I was proud to join Senator Cardin in recommending her to the Administration with my full support, and I applaud the Senate Judiciary Committee’s affirmative vote today to send her nomination to the Senate floor. She will be an excellent asset to our state and country in the role as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland, and I urge the full Senate to confirm her without delay.”
U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE STEPHANIE GALLAGHER
Stephanie Agli Gallagher, of Baltimore, Maryland, currently serves as a United States Magistrate Judge, a position she has held since 2011. In September 2015, President Obama nominated Gallagher to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland. In April 2016, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on her nomination, and in May 2016 the committee favorably reported her nomination by voice-vote to the full Senate. Unfortunately, the full Senate did not take action on her nomination before the 2016 presidential election, and her nomination expired in January 2017. Following recommendations by Senators Cardin and Van Hollen, she was then re-nominated by President Trump in June 2018.
Prior to serving as magistrate, Gallagher was a partner and co-founder at Levin & Gallagher LLC (now Levin & Curlett), she served as an Assistant US Attorney in Baltimore and was a Litigation Associate at Akin Gump in Washington, DC. She has practiced a wide variety of law including complex civil litigation, employment disputes, constitutional issues, criminal defense, and criminal prosecution. Gallagher began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge J. Frederick Motz of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland from 1997 to 1999. She received her J.D. in 1997 from Harvard Law School, graduating cum laude, and her B.S. in government from Georgetown University in 1994, graduating magna cum laude.
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