MD high court honors Alan Wilner for decades of service to Rules Committee

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 hourlong ceremony included numerous speakers and two presentations, one from Renée Hutchins, dean of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, who gifted Wilner a framed law review edition featuring him, and another from Justice Shirley M. Watts on behalf of the Maryland Supreme Court who bestowed Wilner with a plaque recognizing his service with the Rules Committee.

In opening remarks, Chief Justice Matthew Fader cited a quote by former U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger as reflective of Wilner’s approach as chair of the Rules Committee: “Concepts of justice must have hands and feet … to carry out justice in every case in the shortest possible time and the lowest possible cost.”

“Judge Alan M. Wilner has hands and feet, and he put them to work several decades ago in service of justice,” Fader said during Thursday’s ceremony. “His career since then has been nothing short of extraordinary — a career of service that few in the history of this great state can match — he dedicated his life and career to the project of justice, and we in the Maryland Judiciary and indeed the state are much the better for it.”

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.

The longest-serving chair of the Rules Committee, Wilner was lauded Thursday for his contributions to Maryland as a jurist.

Judge Yvette Bryant, current chair of the Rules Committee, said Wilner’s leadership stands out most.

“We all know he’s one of the most accomplished jurists ever,” Bryant said. “His accolades go on for pages, days and months, but what people do not necessarily see as we do while we serve on the Rules Committee is his manner of guiding the ship. He is calm, deliberate, accepting of all views, patient and consistent. He’s open, knowledgeable, scholarly, but so humble. One would never know what his resume consists of simply because of the way he leads.”

Sandra Haines, director and reporter for the Rules Committee, said that Maryland under Wilner’s leadership as the committee’s chair for the first time adopted codified rules of evidence, rules governing access to judicial records and rules pertaining to the electronic filing of pleadings, to name a few.

“The people of the state of Maryland owe Judge Alan Wilner a debt of gratitude for rules well written and a job well done,” Haines said.

Rachael Morrissey, a lawyer in Maryland and the granddaughter of Wilner, spoke of his influence that followed her to law school.

“We knew that he was the smartest man in the family, we knew that he was a judge, but I didn’t quite realize just how influential and instrumental he has been to shaping Maryland law until I was sitting in a law school class and asked to read one of his opinions,” Morrissey said.

Watts described Wilner’s leadership of the Rules Committee as a constant.

“Judge Wilner has made an indelible mark on the rule of law and the administration of justice in Maryland,” Watts said. “Over the years, each member of the [Maryland Supreme] Court has been influenced or affected in some way by Judge Wilner’s dedication and leadership. With his service, Judge Wilner has set a standard that we all strive to emulate.”

Wilner said that the work of the Rules Committee has expanded over the past decade as the law has worked its way into new areas.

“Your Rules Committee is the gold standard,” Wilner said, addressing the high court’s justices. “I shall always treasure my service on the committee. Colleagues have become friends and I am obviously very grateful to the court for my service on the committee.”