Judge Sharon V. Burrell: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Sharon V. Burrell is an associate judge for the Montgomery County Circuit Court in Maryland. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Martin O’Malley on September 26, 2008.

Burrell has held assignments on the Equal Justice Committee and the Judicial Ethics Committee of the Maryland Judicial Council.

Prior to her appointment, Burrell was an associate county attorney for the Office of the Montgomery County Attorney, a position to which she was named in 1987. During her tenure there, she specialized in civil rights law and employment discrimination matters. She also represented the county in labor negotiations.

Burrell earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Barnard College in 1979. She then completed a J.D. at Harvard Law School in 1982. As a law student, Burrell sat as an editor for the Harvard Women’s Law Journal and the Blackletter.

After graduating from law school, Burrell began her legal career as a law clerk to the Hon. Harry A. Cole of the Maryland Court of Appeals. She served in that capacity until 1983, at which time she became an associate at Cable, McDaniel, Bowie & Bond. While in private practice, Burrell represented clients in tax and corporate matters.

Her memberships have included the Maryland State Bar Association, the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association (president), the Montgomery County Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association. She has also been involved with the African American Democratic Club of Montgomery and Ivy Vine Charities, Inc.

She is a recipient of the Certificate of Appreciation from the Montgomery County Department of Health (1994), the Certificate of Recognition and Appreciation from the Montgomery County Executive (1994, 2005), and the Superior Service Award from the Theta Omega Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (2004).

Burrell was born in Washington, D.C.