Judge Julie Rubin, nominated to be a federal trial judge in Maryland, has served on the Baltimore trial bench for the last eight years.

Background

A native Marylander, Julie Rebecca Rubin was born on November 25, 1972 in Baltimore. Rubin received a B.A. cum laude from Mount Holyoke College in 1995, and then obtained a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1998.

After graduation, Rubin worked for the Baltimore office of Shapiro & Olander P.A. for two years before joining Astrachan Gunst Thomas Rubin, P.C. in Baltimore with her husband James Astrachan.

In 2013, Rubin was nominated by Governor Martin O’Malley to be a Judge on the Baltimore City Circuit Court, where she currently serves.

History of the Seat

Rubin has been nominated for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to fill the seat opened by Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander’s move to senior status upon the confirmation of her successor.

Legal Career

Rubin started his legal career at Shapiro & Olander P.A. and then spent twelve years as a name partner at Astrachan Gunst Thomas Rubin, P.C., where she worked on intellectual property and employment law matters. Among the matters she handled there, Rubin secured a $150,000 judgment for a Baltimore based design collective in a breach of contract action. See Brendan Kearney, Baltimore-base Design Collective Gets $150K Verdict, The Daily Record, Jan. 30, 2008. She also represented Caveo Network Solutions, securing a $500K verdict against a former president who started a rival company. See Danny Jacobs, Frederick Technology Company Wins $500K From Former Leader, The Daily Record, Feb. 21, 2011.

Jurisprudence

Rubin has been a judge on the Baltimore County City Court since her appointment to the bench in 2013. In her time on the bench, Rubin has presided over a number of prominent cases.

In 2015, Rubin notably dismissed the murder charge against Montrelle Braxton, finding that Judge Alfred Nance improperly declared a mistrial in a dispute with Braxton’s public defender, and that jeopardy attached to any attempt to retry Braxton. See Steve Lash, The Criticism That Ended the Murder Case, The Daily Record, Aug. 14, 2015. Prosecutors eventually dropped an appeal of her decision to dismiss charges. Lauren Kirkwood, Baltimore Prosecutors Drop Appeal of Dismissed Murder Case, The Daily Record, Feb. 19, 2016.

Rubin has also presided over a number of high value jury verdicts. For example, Rubin presided over a $1.6 million verdict in a lead paint poisoning case. Steve Lash, Baltimore Jury Awards $1.6M to Lead-Paint Victim, The Daily Record, Aug. 9, 2016. Rubin also awarded $30.7 million to Baltimore police and firefighters in a pension lawsuit. Steve Lash, Judge Awards $30.7 Million to Baltimore Police, Fire Retirees, The Daily Record, Apr. 8, 2020. In comparison, Rubin cut a $2.7 million award to a plaintiff in a prison assault case to $200,000 pursuant to Maryland law. See Heather Cobun, Verdict in Prison Guard Assault Case Cut to $200K Under Damages Cap, The Daily Record, July 24, 2019.

Overall Assessment

As a longtime civil attorney and state court judge, Rubin has a fairly conventional background for a judicial nominee. She is likely to have a smooth path to confirmation.