Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman
MSA SC3520-11781

Biography:

Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman was born on January 19, 1941 in Baltimore, Maryland.  After graduating from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, in 1962, with a degree in history, Judge Friedman decided to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather, father, and uncle, and become a lawyer.  While attending the University of Maryland School of Law, Judge Friedman held full-time jobs, first as a middle school history teacher and then as a juvenile probation officer.¹

After graduating with a law degree in 1966, Judge Friedman faced a crossroads in her career.  She loved her job in the juvenile justice system and judged her opportunity for employment in a law firm as bleak.  Law firms were dominated by men and very few women were employed as law clerks or as associates.  Considering these factors and upon the advice of her supervisor and mentor, Tom Albert, Judge Friedman remained a probation officer and decided to pursue a master's degree in social work.  She enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work and graduated in 1969.²

Her degree in social work and experience in the juvenile justice system had a profound effect upon the way Judge Friedman approached the practice of law and eventually her role as a judge.  These influences cemented her dedication to social change and her devotion to helping and teaching clients to effect positive change in their lives. In an interview, Judge Friedman commented that her education and work experience:

Between 1971 and 1977, Judge Friedman worked for the Legal Aid Bureau.  Founded in 1911, the Legal Aid Bureau provides free legal services to low income Marylanders.⁴  Judge Friedman began her career as a staff attorney specializing in domestic law and progressed rapidly within the organization to become Managing Attorney of the Domestic Law Unit.⁵

During her six years at the Legal Aid Bureau, Judge Friedman was considered an expert in divorce and domestic violence.  She authored an article on domestic abuse, and co-wrote two treatises on divorce.⁶  Her pamphlet entitled, "Battered: What Can I Do? A Manual for Survival," is a primer on the legal avenues available to victims of spousal abuse.  Over the years, it has been updated and is still published by the Women's Law Center of Maryland.⁷

During this period in her career, Judge Friedman's most notable achievement was the founding of the House of Ruth.  Working in conjunction with students from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, community organizers, activists, local police and law authorities, Judge Friedman established a shelter and legal clinic for victims of domestic violence.  Almost thirty years later, the House of Ruth continues to be a vibrant organization providing not only shelter and legal advice but, counseling, educational opportunities, and comprehensive legal representation.⁸ The House of Ruth provides desperately needed services to the victims of domestic violence.

While working at the Legal Aid Bureau, Judge Friedman's goal was to become a master in the juvenile court system.  Masters serve as a neutral party appointed by the court to mediate and resolve disputes.  They hold hearings, review evidence, and make rulings on the cases before them.⁹  In the mid 1970s, Judge Friedman applied for a master's position in Baltimore and came up against discrimination.  Three people applied for the job; a white man, a black man, and Judge Friedman, a white woman.  The appointment of the white man caused an uproar among some judges who felt that the black man should have been hired.  Judge Friedman described her reaction as, "Here I was, and I thought, what about women…. I was really irritated that a man had gotten the job."  She investigated filing a discrimination suit but was advised against it.  In the words of her attorney, "…I've asked around, and there's better things in store for you.  I think you should just let this go.¹⁰  Her lawyer's words were prophetic.

In 1977, Judge Friedman left the Legal Aid Bureau to enter private practice with a partner, Robert Hedeman.  By 1981, the partnership had ended and Judge Friedman worked as an Associate in private firms.  On March 1, 1985, she was appointed by Governor Harry Hughes to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.¹¹

Judge Friedman's appointment to the court was opportune.  In 1986, newly appointed administrative judge Joseph H.H. Kaplan was reorganizing the court and naming heads or judges-in-charge of the different court divisions.  A judge-in-charge had both an administrative and judicial role.  Along with handling a full docket, the judge-in-charge was responsible for problem solving, developing policy, streamlining procedures, and attending management meetings.  Judge Friedman was appointed judge-in-charge of the domestic division.  During her ten-year tenure, she redesigned the case management system, resolved the problems caused by the high rate of case postponement, and continually worked on the enforcement of child support decrees.  On September 3, 1996, citing fatigue, Judge Friedman resigned her position as judge-in-charge; she continues to maintain a full docket of cases, however.¹²

Judge Friedman has used her social work background to influence the Baltimore City court system in the areas of drug treatment and adoption.  She has been a tireless advocate of Drug Treatment Court.  Habitual drug users who have committed non-violent crimes can be referred to Drug Court rather than face prison terms.  Drug Court offers closely monitored treatment and rehabilitation in an effort to break the cycle of drug use and crime.  In December, 1999, Drug Court was temporarily closed because demand outstripped the limited number of vacancies.  At the time it was reinstated, Judge Friedman commented that "This is the one program that can make a difference in the lives of long-term drug addicts…. It is inhumane that we are not providing this opportunity to all the individuals who need it." ¹³

She has also been an advocate for reform of adoption laws.  Judge Friedman chaired a subcommittee on private adoptions for the Maryland Judicial Conference.  This committee addressed concerns that private adoptions, those handled by lawyers or other parties rather than by state or licensed adoption agencies, did not adequately protected the interests and rights of children, natural parents and adoptive parents.  The committee was worried that birth fathers were generally ignored in private adoptions, that homes were not properly screened, and that without proper supervision, private adoptions could lead to "brokering and trafficking" in children.¹⁴ In addition to her work with the Maryland Judicial Conference, Judge Friedman also authored two pamphlets on adoption in conjunction with MICPEL (Maryland Institute for the Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers).¹⁵

Her training in social work has steered Judge Friedman toward other causes as well.  She has chaired the Governor's Committee to Study Sentencing and Correctional Alternatives for Women Convicted of Crime and served on the Advisory Committee of the Maryland Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program.  Established in Baltimore, Girl Scouts Beyond Bars began as an innovative partnership between youth organizations and state and local correctional authorities.  Studies found that girls whose mothers were incarcerated experienced a greater risk of depression, aggression, truancy, and poor school performance.  Furthermore, in adolescence and adulthood, many repeated the cycle of crime begun by their mothers.  In an effort to help break this cycle, program coordinators began in 1992 by helping 30 girls whose mothers were incarcerated form their own scout troop.  The girls met every other Saturday with their mothers in the gymnsasium of the correctional facility, and on alternate Saturdays held regular scout meetings at a Baltimore church.  The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program has met with resounding success in meeting its goals of establishing closer ties between the mothers and daughters and providing positive role models for the girls.   In July 1993 the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges identified the program for its "Unique and Innovative Project" award.  The following year the Maryland Criminal Justice Association gave it the first "Outstanding Program" award.¹⁶

One of Judge Friedman's most important and precedence setting rulings was upheld by the Court of Appeals.  In Coburn v. Coburn, she allowed testimony of past spousal abuse to influence the issuance of a protective order between an abuser and his wife.¹⁷  Protective orders require the abuser to sever all contact with their spouse for a specified period of time.  Judge Friedman's actions and the ruling of the higher court, widened and solidified the factors judges can use to determine if a protective order should be issued.  This ruling added teeth to the existing law and increased the protections available to Maryland women.

Judge Friedman's courtroom has been the scene of many unusual incidents.  A defendant, after his guilty verdit was announced, ran from the courtroom and escaped into the streets of Baltimore with sheriff deputies and police officers in hot pursuit.  The man was quickly caught.¹⁸  One case involved a man prosecuted for armed robbery.  The perpetrator approached his victim and drawing his gun demanded exactly four cents.¹⁹  In another incident, an irate juror threatened not to return to the courtroom for his second day of jury duty.  He threw a temper tantrum in front of Judge Friedman, wound up in jail, and directly caused the removal of his jury panel.²⁰

Currently, Judge Friedman still devotes most of her energies to the Circuit Court however, she is also a board member of the Baltimore Courthouse and Law Museum Foundation.  This organization is involved in the restoration of the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse.  In December, 2000, the foundation received a partial grant to renovate the courthouse lobby.²¹

During her long career, Judge Friedman has been the recipient of numerous awards.  In 1991, she received the Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award from the Women's Law Center of Maryland.  This award was given in recognition of her efforts for the advancement of women's rights.  In 1992, Judge Friedman was elected to the Baltimore City Hall of Fame.  Lastly, she was the 1997 recipient of the Rosalyn B. Bell Award for service in family law and was named as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record.²²

First as a lawyer and then as a judge, Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman had devoted her life to helping others help themselves.  Whether as an advocate for drug abusers or victims of domestic violence, Judge Friedman has applied her skills as a social worker to the practice of law.
 

Notes:

1.  "Interview with Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman," interview by Gail Rudenstein, Sociolog, (Fall, 1988). accessed 6 July 6 2001, http://www.ssw.upenn.edu/sociolog/98f/current/friedman.html.
2.  ibid.
3.  ibid.
4.  The Legal Aid Bureau, Inc., "Homapage," accessed 19 July  2001. http://www.mdlab.org/.
5.  Top 100 Women, "The Honorable Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman," The Daily Record. accessed 6 July  2001. http://www.mddailyrecord.com/top100w/friedman.html
6.  Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman, "When Did You Stop Beating Your Wife," Maryland Law Forum, VI No. 2, 1976; The Legal Rights of Women in Marriage and Divorce in Maryland, (Diana Press, Inc.), 1974;  and, The Legal Status of Homemakers in Maryland, (U.S. Government Printing Office), 1976.
7.  Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman, Battered: What Can I Do? A Manual for Survival, The Women's Law Center, Inc., 1976.  Accessed 6 July  2001. http://www.dhr.state.md.us/mcw/images/battered.pdf.
8.  The House of Ruth, "Homepage," accessed 19 July 2001,  http://www.peoples-law.com/peoples/md/domviol/house%20of%20ruth.html
9.  Society of Professions in Dispute Resolution New England Chapter, Master/Special Master/Judicial Referee. accessed 17 July 2001. http://www.nespidr.org/directory/ADR_categories/Masters.htm.
10.  Kenneth, D. Karpay, "A Veteran in Family Law Wars Ceded Judge-in-Charge Post," The Daily Record, 24 August 1996.
11. Top 100 Women, "The Honorable Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman."
12.  Karpay, "A Veteran in Family Law Wars."
13.  Press Release, "Baltimore City Circuit Court to Reinstate Drug Treatment Courts," Court Information Office, Robert C. Murphy court of Appeals Bldg., 2000. accessed 6 July 2001. http://www.courts.state.md.us/pr7-24-00.html.
14.  Claudia Levy, "Judicial Panel Expores Propriety  of Independent Adoptions in Maryland," The Washington Post, 24 April  1988.
15.  Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman, Adoptions 1991, Baltimores, MD: MICPEL, 1991; Friedman, Kathleen O'Ferrall, Adoptions After the New Rules, (Baltimore, MD: MICPEL), 1996.
16.  Marilyn C. Moses, "Keeping Incarcerated Mothers and Their Daughters Together: Girl Scouts Beyond Bars," National Institutes of Justice, October 1995. http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/girlsct.txt.
17.  Coburn v. Coburn, 342 Md 244 (Court of Appeals 1996.). accessed through Lexis Nexis, 25 July 2001.; Dennis O'Brien, "Past abuse incdients must be considered for protective orders: Court of Appeals ruling adds teeth to Maryland's domestice violence statute,"The Baltimore Sun, 1 September 1993.
18.  William F. Zorzi, Jr., "Bolting court, convict leads downtown chase," The Baltimore Sun, 27 August 1992.
19.  Jay Apperson, "Robber got 4¢ and 3 years' probation," The Baltimore Sun, 1 September 1993.
20.  Jamie Stiehm, "Tantrum lands businessman in jail: Bid to cut short jury duty backfires in day behing bars," The Baltimore Sun, 10 January 1997.
21.  Maryland House bill 1352, "Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore City - Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr., Courthouse," accessed 6 July 2001. http://mlis.state.md.us/2000rs/billfile/hb1352.htm.
22.  Maryland State Archives, "Biographical Sketches: Women Judges in Maryland."

Written by Lisa McTaggart, summer intern, Maryland State Archives

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