LAW CLERK SPOTLIGHT - RYAN MAHER By Tracee Fruman
civil jury trial and by press time, will have also observed a criminal jury trial. He described jury selection as “very eye-opening” and was “very impressed by how smoothly the process went,” despite the jurors and courtroom staff being relocated to the American Legion due to COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Ryan Maher is currently serving as law clerk to the Honorable Patrick H. Stringer. Mr. Maher hails from Eldersburg, Maryland, but is a graduate of Calvert Hall College High School in Towson. After graduating a semester early (thanks to AP credits) from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in economics, Mr. Maher had no intention of going to law school. In fact, Mr. Maher was looking for an entry-level job to put his newly-minted degree to use when a conversation with a friend, who was in law school, changed the trajectory of his career. Within a few short months, Mr. Maher did some research, took the LSAT, applied, and was admitted to the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Regarding his favorite part about being a law clerk, Mr. Maher said, “Every day is different, with wide variety of cases and areas of law that we touch on. Every day is a learning experience and I’m very grateful for that.” In addition, Mr. Maher touched on his relationship with his chambers co-workers. He said, “they are such a joy to work with and we have a lot of fun. It makes coming in everyday just a great experience.”
Now that Mr. Maher finished his last law school classes, he will be studying for the July 2021 bar exam. Although he has another six months of his clerkship, Mr. Maher is already thinking ahead to his first job as a practicing lawyer. He has a natural interest in business, especially how businesses start, develop, and run. He hopes to find employment doing transactional work, which will dovetail with his Unlike most (if not all) judicial law clerks, Mr. Maher undergraduate degree in economics. was not yet a law school graduate when he began his Outside of work, Mr. Maher has a love of “all things clerkship. Due to Judge Stringer’s upcoming sports.” Although playing (and watching) baseball is retirement in early 2022, Mr. Maher had the unique his first love, he has found more opportunities as an opportunity of clerking by day and taking law school adult to play soccer. Mr. Maher enjoys playing in a co classes in the evening. This allowed Mr. Maher to -ed, weekend soccer league called Charm City Soccer. maximize his time as a law clerk, giving him more He spends his free time hiking with his pandemic than one year, instead of just five months, with Judge puppy, a Golden Retriever named Camden (yes, like Stringer. Mr. Maher was open to this non-traditional the stadium!), with his new fiancée, Megan. arrangement and “was thrilled by the opportunity” to Congratulations on your law school graduation and work with Judge Stringer while also finishing law recent engagement and good luck on the bar exam! school. Like his fellow judicial law clerks, Mr. Maher has had to be flexible has he navigated the challenges of clerking during a global pandemic. Now that we have entered the final phase of re-opening the courthouse, Mr. Maher enjoys spending the majority of the week working in-person. He recently experienced his first THE ADVOCATE
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