The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Alumni Honors to be presented during Alumni Weekend on Thursday, April 11. Every year, Maryland Carey Law recognizes alumni for their leadership, achievements, and impact on Maryland Carey Law and the legal profession. In 2024, the law school is presenting the following awards: the Distinguished Graduate Award, the Mary Ellen Barbera ’84 Judicial Excellence Award, the Benjamin L. Cardin ’67 Public Service Award, and the Rising Star Award. Honorees are selected by members of the Alumni Board Awards Committee and confirmed by the Alumni Board.
The Distinguished Graduate Award is presented to a Maryland Carey Law alum who has achieved prominence through professional excellence and service to the community. This year’s recipient is the Hon. Angela D. Alsobrooks ’96.
Alsobrooks was elected in 2018 to serve as county executive for Prince George’s County, Maryland. A proud, lifelong Prince Georgian, she is the first woman to hold the position. Her administration has been committed to providing a world-class education system, safe communities, and investing in growing a robust economy that creates jobs and opportunities for all and increases the commercial tax base to ensure residents are provided with the services they deserve.
Alsobrooks is a 1996 graduate of Maryland Carey Law and holds a BA in Public Policy from Duke University. After law school, she began her career as a Prince George’s County assistant state’s attorney in 1997, eventually becoming the county’s first full-time prosecutor assigned to handle domestic violence cases.
In 2010, Alsobrooks was elected to serve as the county’s state’s attorney, becoming the youngest and first woman to be elected to the office in Prince George’s County. As the county’s top law enforcement officer, she played a key role in public safety and strived to carry out her responsibilities in a firm, fair, and consistent manner. Under her leadership, prosecution rates rose across the board and remained steady during her tenure.
Alsobrooks is a member of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
In 2021, she joined the Maryland Carey Law Board of Visitors, where she is an active member on the board’s membership committee. Additionally, Alsobrooks has delivered several keynote addresses and played a pivotal role in hosting many events, including the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Black History Month Celebration, the annual Black Law Students Association Banquet, and alumni receptions in Prince George's County.
The Mary Ellen Barbera ’84 Judicial Excellence Award is presented to an alum who exemplifies the highest standards of judicial excellence, displays extraordinary courage, energy, and tenacity in the handling of controversial and difficult cases as well as embodies strength of character, service, and competence as a jurist, lawyer, and public servant. This year’s honoree is the Hon. Richard D. Bennett ’73.
Judge Bennett is district judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, nominated in 2003 by then-President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. During his tenure, he was appointed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts to serve on the International Judicial Relations Committee, representing the United States in judicial exchange programs in Russia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine. Judge Bennett assumed senior status in 2021.
A 1973 graduate of Maryland Carey Law, Judge Bennett also holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He was an assistant U.S. attorney for Maryland before becoming the U.S. attorney for Maryland. Judge Bennett was also a partner at the Maryland law firm of Miles and Stockbridge, where he spearheaded the firm’s white collar criminal defense and government investigations practice.
Outside of his legal practice, he served over 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and the Maryland National Guard and is a major in the Retired Reserve.
He received the State of Maryland Commendation Medal for Outstanding Service, the Outstanding Service Award from the Maryland State’s Attorneys Association, and an award from Governor William Donald Schaefer for outstanding contributions in the field of victim rights. Judge Bennett is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Maryland State Bar Foundation. He also served on the Board of the Kennedy-Krieger Institute for Disabled Children and 10 years on the Maryland Carey Law Board of Visitors. In law school, Judge Bennett served on the Maryland Law Review.
The Benjamin L. Cardin ’67 Public Service Award is presented to an alum who has demonstrated significant and substantial contributions to furthering ideals of public service in the law. This year’s honoree is the Hon. Marc A. DeSimone, Jr., ’04
Judge DeSimone is an associate judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, appointed in 2024.
A 2004 graduate of Maryland Carey Law, Judge DeSimone also holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Maryland.
Prior to his judicial service, Judge DeSimone served as an assistant public defender in the Appellate Division of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, delivering over 60 arguments before the appellate courts of Maryland, including 14 before the Supreme Court of Maryland.
Judge DeSimone is also a lecturer of law and director of the Moot Court Program at Maryland Carey Law. He has been a member of the law school faculty since 2007 and was recognized as Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2015. In law school, Judge DeSimone was named the Best Oralist of the 2003 Morris B. Meyerowitz Moot Court Competition.
After graduation, he clerked for the Hon. Vanessa Ruiz of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and served in private practice before joining the Office of the Public Defender.
He serves on the board of directors of Unified Community Connections and has been recognized as Volunteer of the Year by United Cerebral Palsy of Central Maryland. He is a past recipient of the Baltimore County Bar Association's Judith B. Ritchey Award and has received the University of Maryland, Baltimore's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Diversity Recognition Award.
The Rising Star Award recognizes a recent graduate whose exemplary contributions of service and leadership, either professionally or at Maryland Carey Law, have brought credit to the graduate and this institution. This year’s honoree is Alexandria K. Montanio ’16.
Montanio is counsel and director of corporate social responsibility at Gordon Feinblatt, LLC. In this position, she provides advice and helps resolve disputes for health care clients while also coordinating and building upon the firm’s existing diversity, equity, inclusion, community engagement, and sustainability efforts. She also leads the firm’s young lawyer recruitment efforts and supports the mentoring and development of associate lawyers.
A 2016 graduate of Maryland Carey Law, Montanio also holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and English from the University of Virginia.
As steward of the relationship between Gordon Feinblatt and Maryland Carey Law, she has coached the BLSA Negotiation Team for eight seasons and is deeply invested in the school’s Diversity and Inclusion Scholars Initiative. In 2023, she became an adjunct professor, teaching a negotiation course at Maryland Carey Law.
Montanio was the youngest board member of the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and is now president. She has received The Daily Record’s Leading Women and Leadership in Law JD awards.
In law school, Montanio was a peer advisor, a member of the Health Law Regulatory and Compliance Competition team, co-president of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Team, and co-founder of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) Negotiation Team. She was also a member of the Journal of Health Care Law and Policy, which published her article about crowdsourcing in medicine.