Judge of the Year Award: The Hon. Pamela J. White '77L
The Hon. Pamela J. White received the Robert M. Bell Judge of the Year Award from the Maryland Access to Justice Commission in recognition of her efforts to “improve the ability of all Marylanders to access the courts or to get legal help in civil legal matters so they can benefit from the rights, protections, services and opportunities that the law provides.”
White received her bachelor’s degree from Mary Washington in 1974 and her juris doctorate from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1977. She joined the Baltimore firm of Ober/ Kaler, Grimes & Shriver and became the first woman to be named a partner. She serves on the 8th Circuit Court for Baltimore City and has worked on criminal and civil dockets and in the family division.
At the awards ceremony on Oct. 23, Maryland District Chief Judge John Morrissey noted, “ From the beginning of her career at the law firm, Ober Kaler Grimes and Shriver, to the present, Judge Pamela J. White has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving access to justice for all Marylanders. During her 30 years in private practice, she provided countless pro bono hours and served on many committees to improve the justice system.”
During her term as Maryland State Bar Association president, Pam supported the adoption of revised pro bono rules recommended by the Maryland Judicial Commission on Pro Bono, which included the adoption of mandatory pro bono reporting for all Maryland attorneys. As a judge on the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, she has expanded her leadership to improve access to justice inside the courthouse. She has overseen the court’s Civil Alternative Dispute Resolution Program since 2009, has served as the pro bono committee liaison for the Circuit Court bench for the past six years, and remains actively engaged on the local pro bono committee.
During her career she has been named to Maryland Top 100 Women by the Daily Record, received the Maryland Leadership in Law Award, also from the Daily Record, and won the Charles H. Dorsey Jr. Mentor Award from the Baltimore City Bar Association.
At W&L, Pam served as the first alumna president of the Law Council from 1991 to 1992 and then as the first alumna member of the Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2004. In 1994, the University awarded her the inaugural Distinguished Alumna Award, and in 2013, gave her an honorary doctor of law degree.
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