Hon. Wayne A. Brooks is an associate judge for the Howard County District Court (District 10) in Maryland. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Martin O’Malley in 2014.
Since taking the bench, Brooks has sat as a member of the Specialty Courts and Dockets Committee and the District Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Subcommittee (chair) of the Judicial Council.
Before beginning his judicial career, he was an Executive Administrative Law Judge and Deputy Director of Operations for the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings (2001 to 2014). Brooks first joined the office as an administrative law judge in 1995.
Before that, he spent three years as an assistant public defender assigned to the Mental Health Division with the Office of the Public Defender in Howard County (1991 to 1994).
Brooks received a B.S. in psychology from Howard University in 1979. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law in 1984. While a law student, Brooks was president of the Student Bar Association.
He was admitted to practice in Maryland in 1985.
After graduating from law school, Brooks served as a Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (1985 to 1987). During his service, he spent time as a Special Assistant U.S. Prosecutor for the United States Magistrate Court (1985 to 1986).
Then, after completing his military service, Brooks entered into private practice. He first joined Fossett & Brugger, Chtd. as an associate in 1987, remaining at the firm for three years. Brooks then briefly practiced at Alfred Nance & Associates (1990 to 1991) and the Law Offices of James H. Taylor, P.C. (1991). During that same year, Brooks was a hearing officer for the Department of Environmental Resources in Prince George’s County (1991).
His memberships have included the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, the Howard County Bar Association (past president), the Prince George’s County Bar Association, the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, the Waring-Mitchell Law Society (past president), and the National Association of Administrative Law Judges.
Brooks was also involved with the Ardmore Enterprises Board of Directors (past president), the Elkridge Youth Organization (baseball and basketball coach), the Columbia Football Association (Board of Directors; coach), and the Hollifield Estates Home Owners’ Association (past president).
He also sat on the Scouting for Food Committee and Scouting the Mall Committee (chair) of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Capital Area Council.
He is the recipient of the Appreciation Award from Ardmore Enterprises (1994), the Public Defender of the Year (Mental Health Division) from the Howard County Office of Public Defender (1992), the Living Legend Award from the Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church (2001), and the Service Award from the Howard County Bar Association (2008).
Brooks, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, attended West Philadelphia University High School (1975). He is a member of Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church.
