Hon. Karen H. Mason is an associate judge for the Prince George’s County Circuit Court in the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Maryland. She was appointed to the bench by Governor Larry Hogan in January 2016.
During her tenure on the Circuit Court, Mason has served as the presiding judge for the Juvenile Court. She has also sat as a member of the Judicial Council’s Juvenile Law Committee.
Before joining its bench, she was an associate judge for the Prince George’s County District Court in District Five, a position to which she was appointed by former Governor Martin O’Malley in 2012. During her tenure there, she was presiding judge of the Mental Health Court. She also served for five years as a family magistrate with the Prince George’s County Circuit Court (2007 to 2012).
Prior to joining the judiciary, Mason worked as an assistant state’s attorney in Prince George’s County (1996 to 1998 and 2000 to 2006). She also spent time as staff counsel at Allstate Insurance Company (1998 to 2000) and taught civil litigation and paralegal studies as an adjunct professor at the Prince George’s County Community College.
She received a B.S. in criminal justice from the University of Dayton in 1980. Mason went on to complete a J.D. at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 1992. She was admitted to practice in Maryland (1995) and the United States District Court for the District of Maryland (1996).
After graduating from law school, she began her legal career as a law clerk to the Hon. Robert H. Mason with the Prince George’s County Circuit Court (1992 to 1994).
Her memberships have included the Maryland State Bar Association, the Prince George’s County Bar Association, the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, the Harry A. Cole Judicial Council, and the National Association of Women Judges.
Her civic involvement has included the Largo High School Moot Court team (coach) and the Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County, Inc. (Board of Directors).
She received the Governor’s Victim Assistance Award from the State Board of Victim Services in the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention in 2005.
Mason was born in Chicago, Illinois.