Elect experienced judges today for a better tomorrow!
Elect experienced judges today for a better tomorrow!
Re-Elect Judge Marc Knapp
Re-elect Orphans' Court Judge Marc Knapp
Professional. Experienced. Qualified.
Licensed Attorney.
Member of the Maryland Bar.
My Credentials
BA - Brown University (1966)
MBA - Columbia University (1968)
JD - University of Baltimore (2014)
Admitted to the Maryland Bar (2015)
Elected to the Orphans' Court (2022)
About Me
My Journey to the Orphans' Court
I retired in 2009 after a long and successful career in banking, finance, and management consulting. In 2011, I gave up on golf and decided to go to law school - I was, frankly, terrible at golf. I had no thoughts of practicing law. My motivation was personal growth - I'm a big believer in life-long education.
I first learned about the Orphans' Court in 2018. I confess that I, like many, used to pay little attention to "down-ballot", non-policy, elective positions. As I, like many, knew nothing about what the down-ballot jobs actually entailed -- much less the professional qualifications of the candidates for those positions -- I tended not to vote "down ballot". But the name "Orphans' Court" tickled my imagination. I dug in to discover that "Orphans' Court" had nothing to do with orphans. That it was just Maryland's way of saying "probate court". I was shocked to find that you need neither legal training nor experience to be an Orphans' Court judge. But I had a law degree. I had a solid background in business and finance. I took a lot of relevant courses in law school. I'm a quick study. So, why not. I threw my hat into the ring, and was elected.
Why Did I Run
I was motivated to run for the Orphans' Court by my sense of public service. I had the education, experience and critical thinking skills needed for the job. I knew I could pick up the legal specifics and courtroom management skills I lacked without too much trouble.
I didn't run because I needed a job. I don't view the position as a stepping stone to higher office. I wasn't handed the job as a thank-you for party loyalty. I ran to serve you, the county resident.
More About Me
Career highlights
First term accomplishments
First term accomplishments
- Treasurer of two major banks.
- Managing director of two management consulting firms
- CFO & COO of three start-ups
- SCORE mentor
- Judge of the Orphans' Court
First term accomplishments
First term accomplishments
First term accomplishments
- Learned the job - on-the-job training for courtroom management and relevant law
- Mentored a new judge
- Reduced number of cases that were appealed
My goals if re-elected
First term accomplishments
My goals if re-elected
- Increase the Court's professionalism
- Improve the documentation of our decisions
- Shorten the time from when petitions are filed until when they are heard
- Bolster the Court's efficiency