Hon. Cathy H. Serrette is an associate judge for the Prince George’s County Circuit Court in the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Maryland. She joined the bench in 2003.
During her tenure on the Circuit Court, Serrette has served as the coordinating judge of the Family Division since 2009. She has also served as an Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Fellow since 2006. In addition, Serrette sat as a member of the Maryland Judicial Conference’s Family Law Committee (chair), the Truancy Court Work Group, the Maryland Access to Justice Commission (chair, Critical Barriers Committee), and the Judicial Council’s Equal Justice Committee and Domestic Law Committee (chair and vice-chair).
She began her judicial career as a family magistrate with the Prince George’s County Circuit Court in 2001.
Prior to joining the bench, Serrette spent fourteen years in private practice (1987 to 2001).
She received a B.S. in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1975. Serrette went on to complete a J.D. at The George Washington University Law School (1979) and an LL.M. in international legal studies from American University Washington College of Law (1991).
She was admitted to practice in New York (1980), Maryland (1986), and the District of Columbia (1986).
After graduating from law school, Serrette began her legal career as a staff attorney with Advocates for Children in New York (1980 to 1981). She also served as a partner at the New York City law firm of Kresky, Sinawski & Hollenberg (1981 to 1984), a legislative director for United States Representative Gus Savage of Illinois (1985 to 1986), and staff counsel with the Information Protection and Advocacy Center for Handicapped Individuals in Washington, D.C. (1986 to 1987).
Her memberships have included the Maryland State Bar Association, the Prince George’s County Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association (past president of the Prince George’s County Chapter), the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, the National Association of Women Judges (past president of the Maryland Chapter), the Lawyers Campaign Against Hunger (Maryland Food Committee), the Law Foundation of Prince George’s County (Fellow; Board of Directors; past president), the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland (past president), and the International Association of Women Judges.
Serrette has also served as an electoral monitor (South Africa) with the International Electoral Commission and sat as a member of the Prince George’s County Board of Education Doctor -Lawyer Education Partnership, the Prince George’s County Community Task Force on Police Accountability, the Prince George’s County Circuit Court Task Force on Circuit Court Accessibility for the Latino Community, and the Prince George’s County and Charles County Local Pro Bono Committee.
From a civic standpoint, she has been involved with the American Civil Liberties Union (Board of Directors, Prince George’s County Chapter), the Advanced Science and Technology Resource Center (Education and Policy Standards Committee), and the NAACP.
Among her many accolades, Serrette received the 2020 Judicial Award from the Maryland Pro Bono Resources Center, the Arthur W. Machen, Jr. Award from the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, the Prince George’s County Human Trafficking Task Force Leadership Award, the Innovator of the Year award from the Daily Record, the Innovative Partner Award from the Prince George’s County Department of Family Services, and the Rosalyn Bell Award from the Maryland Women’s Law Center.
She was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.