On March 10, 2026, high school students around the county were given a unique opportunity. The Supreme Court of Maryland (formerly Court of Appeals) held two off-site oral arguments at Harford Community College’s Chesapeake Welcome Center in Bel Air.
The Supreme court recently decided to “go on tour”, reviewing cases all around the state of Maryland for the sole purpose of educating students about the judicial process. Harford/ Baltimore County representative Justice Angela Eaves noted that in the two years since the program began, the Court has only held off‑site sessions six times, underscoring how uncommon these events are. Their visit to Harford County marked the first time in history that the Supreme Court of Maryland conducted official arguments in the county. The session, held at Harford Community College, was attended by students from ten Harford County high schools as well as the community college.
Eaves mentioned how grateful she was to be in the area, as she has a special connection to Harford. “I am thankful to have spent the majority of my legal career here in Harford County. I [moved here] from Texas in the late 80’s [After growing up and attending law school there] but the majority of my career has been here in Maryland, and I’ve always lived in Harford County.” She then expands on the importance of hearing cases at HCC. “I’m really proud to be here to bring the court to the heart to Harford County so you can observe the work that we do. I know that you have opportunities to see the law in other contexts but as you can see appellate law is different. I am really proud that we were able to bring it here specifically.”
North Harford—one of those ten schools—was able to bring 20 students to attend. Senior Lexi Palmisano was very excited about this opportunity. “It was a really fun experience watching the Maryland Supreme Court. It was really engaging and it helped us see how real life decisions are made.” Already committed to college for Pre-Law, she made sure to stay alert. “It also helped me get a look at what [my future will look like] since I want to go into a law profession.”
Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader noted that there was every level of the judiciary in the room, making it a pretty cool event to witness. Being in Harford County was a truly a historic event, and Eaves confirms this by saying, “This is a wonderful county, it’s a wonderful place to understand the issues that impact the lives of real people.”
