LEGISLATION INTRODUCED: For Fairer Courts

The Student Justice Alliance (SJA) is introducing legislation in the upcoming 2026 legislative session to push back against the systematic underrepresentation of minorities on court benches across the state.

The bill requires the Administrative Office of the Courts to collect and publish comprehensive, annual reports on judicial demographic data. Demographic data will include ethnicity, gender identity, disability status, veteran status, and sexual orientation, for judicial applicants, candidates, nominees, appointees, and sitting judges aggregated statewide and disaggregated by specific jurisdiction. Any demographic data disclosed or released will not identify any individual applicant, candidate, appointee, nominee, justice, or judge.

SJA's push for transparency stems from troubling findings revealed in its county-level analysis of Maryland's circuit court demographics. The data paints a stark picture of racial disparity and the systemic underrepresentation of minorities on judicial benches.

This comes in contrast to Maryland’s commitment to judicial diversity. As Governor Wes Moore acknowledged in his executive order, “the appointment of persons to the judiciary from a diversity of backgrounds enhances the quality of justice.” Yet without comprehensive data collection, the public lacks knowledge of whether the justice system truly serves them.

This legislation will require the publication of data that will allow Maryland to pinpoint where in the judicial applicant process these disparities stem from and lay the foundation for evidence-based reform in the future.

As legislation around the reform of Maryland’s circuit court continues to be introduced, this bill will ensure that conversations about judicial diversity are grounded in facts rather than assumptions. With comprehensive demographic reporting, policymakers, advocates, and citizens will finally have the tools to hold the judicial selection process accountable and work toward a justice system that truly serves all Marylanders.

The Student Justice Alliance is proud to lead this effort toward transparency, accountability, and a more representative judiciary.