Judge Yolanda L. Curtin named administrative judge for the Circuit Court for Harford County

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Court of Appeals of Maryland Chief Judge Joseph M. Getty has named Judge Yolanda L. Curtin as county administrative judge for the Circuit Court for Harford County. Judge Curtin succeeds Judge Angela M. Eaves, who was recently appointed by Governor Hogan to the Court of Appeals of Maryland, and the designation is effective March 23, 2022.

“Judge Curtin is an accomplished jurist and well-respected leader who will carry out the Maryland Judiciary’s mission to provide fair, efficient, and effective justice for all,” said Court of Appeals of Maryland Chief Judge Joseph M. Getty. “I am confident that she will serve the people of Harford County, and of Maryland, with honor and distinction.”

County administrative judges oversee the administration of the court, budget, and procurement functions. They also manage trial calendars to ensure the expeditious disposition of cases.

“I am honored and grateful to Chief Judge Getty for the trust and confidence he has placed in me to serve as administrative judge,” said Administrative Judge Yolanda L. Curtin, Circuit Court for Harford County. “It has been a privilege to work alongside Judge Eaves and I congratulate her for achieving such an incredible milestone in her distinguished career. I will continue to build from her dedicated leadership. I look forward to collaborating with my esteemed colleagues on the bench and the incredibly hardworking court staff. Together, we will continue to strive to make the most meaningful impact in the lives of the people of Harford County and the state of Maryland.”

Judge Curtin has served as an associate judge at the Circuit Court for Harford County since November 2013, upon her appointment by then-Governor Martin O’Malley. The appointment filled a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Emory A. Plitt.

Judge Curtin currently serves as a member of the Judicial Council’s Equal Justice Committee and is chair of its Diversity and Inclusion Education Subcommittee. She also recently served as a circuit representative for the Third Judicial Circuit for the Conference of Circuit Judges from 2019 to 2020. In addition, Judge Curtin served as a member of the Judicial Council’s Court Access and Community Relations Committee and its Court Technology Committee from 2015 to 2016. Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Curtin was an assistant state’s attorney for Harford County from 1994 to 2004 and an administrative law judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings from 2004 to 2013.

Judge Curtin earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and English from Rutgers University in 1989 and earned a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University School of Law in 1992. She was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1992 and to the Maryland Bar in 1993. Judge Curtin earned a Master of Laws, securities regulation, from Georgetown University Law Center in 1993. Judge Curtin served as a volunteer lawyer for pro bono assignments with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service from 1994 to 2002. She has served as a member of the Harford County Bar Association since 1994 and has served as its president from 2015 to 2016, served as secretary from 2013 to 2015, and served on the executive council from 2011 to 2016.

Judge Curtin is of Cuban descent and is a member of the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association. She served as a law student mentor, co-chair of the Mentorship Committee and Student Affairs, and a past member of the Montgomery County Summer Scholars Pipeline Program. She also served on the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association’s board of directors from 2009 to 2011. In 2016, she received the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association’s Outstanding Achievement Award. She is also a member of the Women's Bar Association since 2007, and the Harford County Women’s Bar Association since 2015.

In addition, Judge Curtin has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law since 2002. She has served as a member of the Maryland Association of Administrative Law Judiciary from 2012 to 2013, and served as a member of the National Association of Women Judges from 2007 to 2010. Judge Curtin is an honorary member of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity and she is a past member of the Harford County Women's Giving Circle.