Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera has appointed Suzanne Schneider as her chief of staff. Previously, Schneider served as the assistant court administrator for the Montgomery County Circuit Court. She assumes her new role starting March 11.
In her capacity as chief of staff, Schneider will report directly to Chief Judge Barbera. Her responsibilities include managing daily operations in the chief judge’s chambers, supervising staff, handling communications and inquiries, scheduling, providing research, reviewing reports, advising, and communicating on behalf of the chief judge when directed. Chief Judge Barbera oversees Maryland's judicial branch and manages a budget of $468 million with nearly 300 judges and about 4,000 employees.
“Suzanne brings a wealth of varied experience and skills to this role,” said Chief Judge Barbera. “She has an impressive track record of problem-solving, prioritizing, multitasking and consensus-building. These wide-ranging attributes and abilities make her an outstanding choice to help achieve the Judiciary’s goal of improving service to all the people who have business with our courts.”
Schneider expressed enthusiasm for her new position: “I am looking forward to this new challenge and new opportunity to serve the people of Maryland, and I am honored to have been chosen by Chief Judge Barbera,” she said. “I plan to work closely with my colleagues in the Judiciary to help ensure that the Judiciary’s operations run smoothly and efficiently and to provide Chief Judge Barbera with the information and tools she needs as the leader of Maryland’s courts.”
A member of the Maryland bar since 1993, Schneider has held various roles including assistant court administrator, differentiated case management coordinator, family division coordinator, and juvenile division coordinator for Montgomery County's Circuit Court. Her previous experience includes prosecuting criminal cases as an assistant state’s attorney specializing in financial and high-tech crimes.
Schneider also initiated a criminal law reform program for the American Bar Association (ABA-CEELI) in Uzbekistan from 1999 to 2000 as a volunteer liaison. She served as resident country director for ABA-CEELI's Rule of Law Program in Georgia from 2000 to 2001. Between 2005 and 2009, she worked on long-term consultancies for both the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Criminal Justice Reform Unit and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). More recently, she consulted on projects for USAID's judicial strengthening initiative and U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Courts Technical Assistance Projects through American University.
Schneider graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1993 after completing studies at Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars in 1985 and Rice University in 1984. She achieved certification from National Center for State Courts’ Institute for Court Management Court Executive Certification program in 2014.