Maryland Supreme Court Honors Judge Alan Wilner

In MD high court honors Alan Wilner for decades of service to Rules Committee (Jan. 23, 2025), Rachel Konieczny wrote that: “The Maryland Supreme Court convened a special session to recognize Judge Alan M. Wilner Thursday, with judges, lawmakers and colleagues of Wilner honoring him for his nearly three decades of service with the state’s Rules Committee.”

The article continues:

In addition to Wilner’s service as chair of the Rules Committee from 1985 to 1996 and from 2008 to 2024, he also served as chief judge of the then-named Court of Special Appeals from 1990 to 1996 and as judge of the then-Court of Appeals from 1996 to 2007.

Wilner announced his plan to step down as chair of the Rules Committee during a November committee meeting.

Judge Wilner chaired the Rules Committee when I proposed abandoning Maryland’s obsolete “safe harbor” rule. It’s Time to Replace Maryland’s “Safe Harbor” Rule (Nov. 8, 2022);  The Maryland Rules Committee Has Recommended Several Discovery Amendments (May 24, 2023).

While that effort was only partially successful, Maryland Supreme Court Rejects Proposed Sanctions Rule Paralleling Fed.R.Civ.P. 37(e) (Nov. 3, 2023); Maryland Rules Order Amends Sanctions Rule  (Nov. 28, 2023), I appreciate His Honor’s submitting and supporting the proposal.

I had the honor of appearing before Judge Wilner in Seipp v. Balt. City Bd. of Elections, 377 Md. 362, 833 A.2d 551 (2003).