Shirley Watts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland | |
| Assumed office July 31, 2013 | |
| Appointed by | Martin O'Malley |
| Preceded by | Robert M. Bell |
| Judge of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals | |
| In office January 27,2011 –July 31,2013 | |
| Appointed by | Martin O'Malley |
| Preceded by | Arrie W. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Michael Reed |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 6,1959 Baltimore,Maryland,U.S. |
| Education | Howard University (BA) Rutgers University,Camden (JD) |
Shirley Marie Watts (born March 6,1959) [1] [ citation needed ] is an American lawyer and jurist from Baltimore,Maryland. Since July 2013,she has served as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Maryland,the state's highest court. Watts is the first African American woman to serve as a judge on the Court of Appeals. [1] Prior to her appointment,she was a judge on the Maryland Court of Special Appeals from 2011 to 2013 and an associate judge on the Baltimore City Circuit Court from 2002 to 2011. [2]
Born in Baltimore,Watts received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1980. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers School of Law in 1983. [2] On July 3,2013,Governor Martin O'Malley nominated Watts to fill the seat of retired Chief Judge Robert M. Bell on the Court of Appeals,representing the 6th Appellate Circuit (Baltimore City). [3]
