Karen A. Murphy Jensen biography

Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

Karen A. Murphy Jensen
MSA SC 3520-13087

Born in Cheverly, Maryland, September 24, 1955. Attended Notre Dame Preparatory School; University of Delaware, B.A., 1977; University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., 1980. Admitted to Maryland Bar, 1980.

County Administrative Judge, Caroline County Circuit Court, 2nd Judicial Circuit, November 5, 1999 to February 29, 2016. Resigned February 29, 2016. Presiding Judge, Juvenile Drug Court Program. Member, Maryland Judicial Commission on Pro Bono, 1998-2000; Family and Domestic Relations Law Committee, 2000-01, and Family Law Committee, 2001-03, 2006-12, 2014, Maryland Judicial Conference. Chair, Court of Appeals Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Service, 2012- (member, 2002-). Circuit Representative, 2nd Judicial Circuit, Conference of Circuit Judges, 2009-14. Member, Ad Hoc Committee on Sentencing Alternatives, Re-Entry, and Best Practices, 2010-12; Maryland Access to Justice Commission, 2013-14. Member, Judicial Council, 2013-16, Maryland Judicial Conference. Member, Court Access and Community Relations Committee, Judicial Council, 2015-.

Assistant County Solicitor, Anne Arundel County, 1981-86. Member, Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, Caroline County, 2004-16. Member, Maryland State Bar Association (board of governors, 1985-86, 1989-91; chair, young lawyers section council, 1985-86; chair, standing committee on membership, 1986-87; member, bar insurance trust); Caroline County Bar Association (president, 1987; treasurer, 1996-); Women's Bar Association of Maryland; Second Circuit Bar Association (treasurer, 1996-). Member, People's Pro Bono Action Center (board of directors, 1991-93; president, 1992-93). Board of Directors, Maryland Bar Foundation, 2003- (secretary-treasurer; vice-president, 2010-); Mid-Shore Pro Bono, Inc., 2005-. Service Award, Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center, 2007. Judge of the Year Award, Maryland Access to Justice Commission, 2012. Women and Girls Fund Award, Women and Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore, 2012. Leadership in Law Award, Daily Record, 2015. Lifetime Achievement Award, Mid-Shore Pro Bono, 2015. Community Service Award, Caroline County Chamber of Commerce, 2016.

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