Nonprofit set to get new chief
Retired judge O’Malley picked to head Women’s Law Center of Maryland
Retired Judge Catherine “Katie” Curran O’Malley will step into the top position at the Women’s Law Center of Maryland later this month, the legal nonprofit said.
O’Malley, 61, who unsuccessfully ran for attorney general as a Democrat in 2022, will become executive director on Jan. 16, according to a news release Thursday.
She retired in 2021 after 20 years as a Baltimore District Court judge and before that, worked as an assistant state’s attorney in Baltimore County from 1991 to 2001. During her time on the bench, she gained a reputation as an expert on domestic violence and trained other judges in how to handle such cases.
O’Malley said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun that she was excited to continue the center’s legal advocacy for clients effected by intimate partner violence, and pointed to its recent success advocating for an impending ballot initiative to enshrine reproductive freedom in the state constitution.
She cited the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 as a factor in continuing to fight for women’s access to reproductive health care and justice, and said the center would continue to fight back against states like Texas and Mississippi that are trying to curtail access to reproductive drugs like mifepristone.
“We’ve been so devastated since [Roe’s overturning], and I never thought I’d see it fall in my lifetime,” she said. “Now we have to continue to make sure services are provided in our state, and our bordering states, because we are a haven.”
In a statement, Kelly Tribble Spencer, the president of the Women’s Law Center’s board of directors, said she welcomed O’Malley’s 30 years of courtroom experience and her “depth of experience and passion for supporting women in Maryland” as the center’s new executive director.
“This is an organization that has a history of dedicated changemakers and exceptional leaders, and we are thrilled to have Katie to continue that legacy,” Spencer said.
Founded in 1971, the Women’s Law Center represents women in cases concerning family, immigration and employment law, and advocates for legislation concerning topics like reproductive and affordable health care, according to its website.
A Baltimore native, O’Malley is married to Martin O’Malley, a Democrat who served as governor from 2007 to 2015 and as mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. Martin O’Malley was recently confirmed to head the Social Security Administration.
She is a graduate of Towson State University and University of Baltimore Law School. She also serves as vice president, under former Democratic Gov. Parris Glendening, on the Maryland 250 Commission, which is planning a celebration for the country’s 250th founding anniversary in 2026.