Judge James A. Kenney (Ret.) is currently engaged in private mediation and arbitration of complex civil litigation with a concentration on cases relating to real estate, state and local government, land use, and business litigation. He also provides Neutral Case Evaluations.
From June 17, 1997 until March 26, 2007 when he retired, Judge Kenney served as an Associate Judge of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland. Prior to that Judge Kenney engaged in the private practice of law which included a general practice with a concentration on real estate, land use, regulatory practice, administrative law, business transactions and litigation. Prior to that Judge Kenney was an Assistant States Attorney in St. Mary’s County.
Because of his acknowledged expertise Judge Kenney was selected to serve as Chair of the St. Mary’s County Economic Development Commission. He also served as a Member of the Governor’s Commission on Condominiums, Cooperatives and Homeowner’s Associations during the 1980’s. From 1994-1999 Judge Kenney served on the Board of Governors of the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center and from 2002-2005 Judge Kenney was a member of the Maryland Code Revision Commission Housing Article Review Committee.
Judge Kenney’s expertise has been further recognized by the American Bar Association of which he is a member and has served as the Chair of the Government Regulation of Land Use Committee of the ABA Real Property Section. He has also served as an Advisor to the National Conference on Uniform State Laws on Planned Communities. Judge Keeney was also elected to membership in the American College of Real Property Lawyers, a national organization which recognizes the best lawyers in their field by a vote of their peers.
| EDUCATION: |
| DICKINSON COLLEGE Carlisle, Pennsylvania B.A., 1959 |
| YALE DIVINITY COLLEGE Graduate Study – Social Ethics New Haven, Connecticut |
| THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Washington, D.C. J.D., 1963 |
| MEDIATION TRAINING: Civil Mediation; Complex Business Mediation |
| BAR ADMISSIONS: |
| The Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1963 |
| United States District Court of the District of Columbia, 1964 |
| The United States District Court of Maryland, 1965 |
| The United States Court of Appeals, 1974 |
| The Supreme Court of the United States, 1977 |
| PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: |
| PRACTICE OF LAW: 1963 to appointment to the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, June 1997 Barco, Cook & Patton (now Patton Boggs), 1963-1964 Briscoe and Kenney (and successors) 1966-1997 |
| ASSISTANT STATE’S ATTORNEY: St. Mary’s County, 1964-1967 |
| ADJUNCT ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: St. Mary’s College, 1964 to present: Law and Society; Religion and the Constitution |
| BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS: |
| • Human Relations Commission, 1967-1970 |
| • Governor’s Commission of Condominiums, Cooperatives, and Homeowners Assoc. 1982-87 |
| • Building Code Task Force, 1986-1990 |
| • St. Mary’s County Economic Development Commission, Chair, 1989-1993 |
| • Board of Governors, Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 1993-June 1999 |
| • President, St. Mary’s College Foundation 1993-1999, founding member 1971-1999 |
| • Maryland Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission, Southern Maryland Regional Advisory Board, 1998 |
| • Governor’s Advisory Commission, Maryland Higher Education Plan, 1999-2000 |
| • Judicial Ethics Committee, State of Maryland, 2000 to 2007 |
| • Maryland Judicial Conference Committee on Civil Law and Procedures, 2002 to present |
| • Maryland Code Revision Committees: Housing; Alcoholic Beverages (Chair); Land Use |
| • Business and Technology Case Management Program Implementation Committee and Designated Business/Technology Case Management Program Judge. |
| • National Advisory Committee; |
| PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: |
| • St. Mary’s County Bar Association |
| • State Bar Association – past vice present and member of the Board of Governors; faculty. Professionalism Court; member of the Bar Admission Character Committee |
| • American Bar Association-former Chair of the Committee on Regulation of Land Use (Property and Probate Section) and advisor to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws for Planned and Common Interest Communities |
| • American College of Real Estate Lawyers |
| CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION TEACHING EXPERIENCE: |
| • MICPEL: Chesapeake Bay Critical Area (Western Shore): Land Use Institute |
| • American College of Real Estate Lawyers Workshop (Planned Communities) |
| • American Bar Association Programs on Impact Fee and Regulatory Takings; Zoning: Wetlands |
| • Judicial Institute of Maryland: Land Use Litigation; Administrative Law; Judicial Ethics |
| PUBLICATIONS: |
| • Co-author, Codifying the Law of Homeowners Associations: The Uniform Planned Community Act, Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal, Winter, 1980 |
| • The Problem of People: Critical Areas and Floating Zones in the Chesapeake, Virginia Journal of Natural Resources Law, Symposium Issue: The Chesapeake Bay, Spring, 1985 |
| • Contributor: Community Association Law Reporter and A.B.A. Journal |
| • Contributor and Original Collaborator to Peter W. Salsich, Jr., Land Use Regulation, published by Shepard’s McGraw/Hill, 1991 |