--- title: "Adam Ben Abelson | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/adam-ben-abelson" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Adam Ben Abelson U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland - State: Maryland - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - On May 8, 2024, President Joe Biden nominated him to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland to fill the vacancy left by Judge James K. Bredar - Selected as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Maryland on September 18, 2023, serving until his elevation to district judge - He then worked in private practice at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP — 2012–2023 - Law clerk, Hon. Andre M. Davis, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 2011-2012 - Began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Catherine C. Blake of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (2010–2011) and then to Judge Andre M. Davis of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (2011–2012) - Law clerk, Hon. Catherine C. Blake, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 2010-2011 - Chair of the ABA’s Working Group on Building Public Trust in the American Justice System, contributed to guidelines on court fines and body-worn camera policies, and has served on the board of the Job Opportunities Task Force ### Education ### Additional information - Judge Abelson has presided over significant cases, including issuing a preliminary injunction in 2025 against provisions of executive orders that would have terminated federal grants or contracts tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs - Private practice, Baltimore, Maryland, 2014-2023 - Private practice, Washington, D.C., 2012-2014 - a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 2010, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif - He obtained a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Princeton University in 2005 - Adam Ben Abelson was born in 1982 in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio - Beyond the bench, Abelson has been active in the legal community - He ruled that the orders were overly vague and could impair free speech rights, though the Fourth Circuit later allowed enforcement while litigation continued He also oversees high-profile federal cases, such as the AeroVanti wire fraud case, where he heard arguments regarding alleged misconduct and potential retrials - representing clients in complex civil litigation, white-collar criminal defense, and government investigations - He also maintained an active pro bono practice and received recognition as Young Lawyer of the Year by The American Lawyer ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761857) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761857) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761857) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [Abelson, Adam Ben](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761857) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/adam-ben-abelson", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/adam-ben-abelson", "name": "Adam Ben Abelson | KnowJudges", "description": "Adam Ben Abelson, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.