By Gwen-Marie Davis 

It has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve as the President of the Maryland Association for Justice. As I carried the torch on behalf of MAJ, there were great days, some hard days, but overall, the journey meant the world to me to lead trial lawyers during such a time as this! This was a special, historic year for MAJ, as I was able to serve during its special 70th year.  

It was a productive year for MAJ. The Committees, Sections, and the Women’s Caucus and Minority Caucus have been phenomenal. They have had great engagements and a rewarding and successful year. I want to thank all the co-chairs of each committee, section, and caucus for a job well done this year. I know each of you have donated your time and talent to this great organization and for that I thank you. You have all helped to make this bar year a success.  

The Minority Caucus and the Women’s Caucus both thrive. There were several roundtable events, community outreach and networking opportunities, the seminars which were all a success, and ultimately the bonds that were formed within MAJ have been formed to last a lifetime.  

We kicked off an initiative for “MAJ Madness” this year, which was a fun way to recruit new members. My hope is that each member continues to tell their colleagues about the importance and the benefits of being a part of this great organization. My hope is that the momentum will continue with membership, and that the MAJ Madness recruitment mindset will continue and be a culture for MAJ all year long. Growth of this organization is critical, so my charge is that we continue to recruit and increase membership.   

I am grateful to the MAJ board members for the countless hours they volunteered this year for this organization. We completed an intense Strategic Planning Retreat this year. We dedicated countless hours before, during and after our strategic planning session, which will help to shape the future of this organization.  

 I am also pleased that this year we implemented the MAJ Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy will help shape and prepare the next generation of MAJ leadership. If you are thinking about becoming more involved, I would encourage you to apply to be a part of the inaugural leadership academy class by visiting mdforjustice.com/LeadershipAcademy. This will be a great opportunity to hone your leadership skills, and to be prepared to help move MAJ’s mission forward.  

During this bar year, I have connected with other bar leaders across the state and forged relationships with other bar associations and have met with Deans of our local law schools to ensure that law students are exposed to the great work of this organization. The inaugural event with Maryland Defense Counsel, Inc (MDC) and MAJ is being put together to celebrate collegiality and cooperation between the lawyers on both sides of the legal dispute. My hope is that forging these relationships will be helpful to our clients and the practice of law as a whole.  

One of MAJ’s missions is to improve the civil justice system. There were numerous MAJ members who volunteered to donate their time to meet with legislators and to testify on pending legislation. I am so grateful to you all for taking the time to be an advocate for your clients in the courtroom and in our legislature. I want to take a moment to thank Chris Figueras, Legislative Director; Bruce Plaxen, Legislative Chair; Emily Malarkey, Medical Negligence Vice Chair; Jim Lanier, Workers’ Compensation Vice Chair; George Tolley, PAC Chair; our lobbying teams, executive leadership and countless other attorneys who attended Justice Day or helped testify in Annapolis.  I also would like to send a special thank you to those who are a part of the important work of the Legislative Leaders Circle, and/or the Foundational Maryland Accountability Alliance Donors.  

I want to give a special thank you to George Tolley. He went above and beyond, supporting MAJ and myself. There is much work to be done in the weeks, months, and years ahead. I want to encourage everyone to press on. Although not the results I hoped for this year, remember we are running a marathon and not a sprint. We will let nothing dim our light, or the important work that we do. Let us continue with enthusiasm, vigor, and drive to get across the finish line.   

To each and every MAJ member, thank you. It has been great being the 70th President of this organization. Let us all keep pushing forward, and as I prepare to pass the torch to our next MAJ president, my hope is that the hard work done this year will leave a lasting legacy on this organization, and the future of this organization will continue to shine bright.  

Biography 

Gwen-Marie Davis is the Managing Partner at GDH Law. She is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law.  

She is dedicated to representing injured individuals and victims of wrongful death claims involving Premises Liability, Personal Injury, and Auto Collision Cases. She is passionate about fighting for clients in the court room and advocating for them on behalf of the MAJ before legislatures in Annapolis as well.  

Gwen-Marie was awarded the Daily Record's 2022 Personal Injury Law Power list. and has been named Super Lawyer for several consecutive years. She has been of the MAJ Board of Governor's since 2016 and has represented Maryland as a Board of Governor for the American Association for Justice since 2021.  

She is admitted to practice in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.