Irma S. Raker
Encyclopedia
Irma S. Raker is an American
lawyer and jurist from Rockville, Maryland
. Judge Raker has served as a judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals
, that state's highest court, since 1994. She retired from that Court in 2008 and currently sits by designation.
She was born Irma Steinberg in Brooklyn, New York, and attended local schools including Midwood High School
. She graduated from Syracuse University
in 1959 and studied at the Hague Academy of International Law
.
Steinberg interrupted her education to marry Samuel K. Raker and oversee the early development of their three children. She then returned to her studies, earning a J.D.
degree from the American University
in Washington, D.C.
in 1972. She was admitted to the Maryland
bar the next year.
Raker served as an Assistant State's Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland
from 1973 to 1979. Judge Raker took the bench when she was appointed a trial judge in Maryland's District Court of Maryland and then the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. She served in a number of increasingly responsible judicial positions until Governor Schaefer
appointed her to the Maryland Court of Appeals
, the state's highest court.
Judge Raker currently serves as the Chairperson of the Maryland Access to Justice Commission. She is actively engaged in private mediation and arbitration.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and jurist from Rockville, Maryland
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
. Judge Raker has served as a judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals
Maryland Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals of Maryland is the supreme court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court, which is composed of one chief judge and six associate judges, meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital, Annapolis...
, that state's highest court, since 1994. She retired from that Court in 2008 and currently sits by designation.
She was born Irma Steinberg in Brooklyn, New York, and attended local schools including Midwood High School
Midwood High School
Midwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students...
. She graduated from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in 1959 and studied at the Hague Academy of International Law
Hague Academy of International Law
The Hague Academy of International Law is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands...
.
Steinberg interrupted her education to marry Samuel K. Raker and oversee the early development of their three children. She then returned to her studies, earning a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1972. She was admitted to the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
bar the next year.
Raker served as an Assistant State's Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
from 1973 to 1979. Judge Raker took the bench when she was appointed a trial judge in Maryland's District Court of Maryland and then the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. She served in a number of increasingly responsible judicial positions until Governor Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer was an American politician who served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. A Democrat, he was mayor of Baltimore from 1971 to 1987, the 58th Governor of Maryland from January 21, 1987 to January 18, 1995, and the Comptroller of...
appointed her to the Maryland Court of Appeals
Maryland Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals of Maryland is the supreme court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court, which is composed of one chief judge and six associate judges, meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital, Annapolis...
, the state's highest court.
Judge Raker currently serves as the Chairperson of the Maryland Access to Justice Commission. She is actively engaged in private mediation and arbitration.