State Sen. Emeritus Jill P. Carter, J.D. '92, will deliver the Commencement address at The University of Baltimore School of Law's May 22 ceremony at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
A tireless advocate for civil rights and criminal justice, Carter has dedicated her career to ensuring that government works for the people. Her many causes included adequate housing for the poor, policing reform, funding for public education, same-sex marriage, legalization of recreational cannabis, and juvenile justice reform. In 2025, Gov. Wes Moore appointed Carter to a seat on the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals, which adjudicates bid protests and contract disputes between state government and contractors or vendors doing business with the state.
Prior to her current appointment, from 2018 to 2025, Carter served in the Maryland Senate representing the state's 41st legislative district, which falls within the municipal boundaries of Baltimore City. She previously represented the district as a member of the House of Delegates for 14 years, from 2003 to 2016.
In December 2016, Carter became director of the Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights, where she worked on issues concerning police misconduct, employment and wage discrimination. In 2018, Gov. Larry J. Hogan, Jr. appointed her to the Maryland Senate. She retained that seat in the subsequent election and was reelected in 2022.
Carter earned her B.A. in English from Loyola College in Maryland before attending UBalt School of Law.
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