Irwin R. Kramer

Biographical Sketch

As managing partner of the Baltimore litigation firm of Kramer & Connolly, Irwin Kramer devotes a significant portion of his career to the defense of his fellow attorneys in malpractice and disciplinary matters, and represents bar applicants faced with character and fitness issues. This practice evolved after many years as lead counsel in complex civil lawsuits, including professional liability and high-exposure insurance litigation. Combined with significant trial and appellate experience in state and federal courts, Mr. Kramer’s law firm management experience gives him an appreciation for the pressures of law practice and the ethical issues confronting attorneys on a daily basis.

In addition to WCL, he has served as a law professor and lecturer at the University of Chicago, the University of Maryland, the University of Baltimore, George Mason University and Michigan State/Detroit College of Law. Dedicated to making the law “user-friendly” for those who must live by it, Mr. Kramer founded The Legal Television Network, where he produced features designed to enhance public access to legal information, has hosted legal programs on C-SPAN, and appeared regularly as a television legal analyst. Appointed to the Supreme Court of Maryland’s Standing Committee on Rules of Practice & Procedure, Mr. Kramer serves on a team of prominent judges, legislators and attorneys who review and revise court rules, including those which govern the attorney grievance process. He also chairs the Professional Ethics Committee of the Bar Association of Baltimore City.

After graduating summa cum laude from Towson University, Mr. Kramer earned his Juris Doctor with honor from the University of Maryland School of Law, where he won the school’s moot court championship and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. He received a Master of Laws degree from Columbia University School of Law and served as a Vice President of the Columbia Law School Alumni Association of Washington, D.C. Mr. Kramer is a member of the bar in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and several federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States.