12 Jun Member Spotlight: Susan Dubin, Deputy County Attorney for Transactions of Baltimore County
Member Spotlight: Susan Dubin, Deputy County Attorney for Transactions of Baltimore County
We would like to take a moment to shout out one of IMLA’s wonderful members, Susan Dubin. Susan was nominated by many of her colleagues for IMLA’s Women’s History Month Spotlight. Although it is no longer March, we would like to share this interview with Susan so that you can learn more about her career journey and the women in her life who inspire her.
Tell us a bit about your professional background.
I am the Deputy County Attorney for Transactions with the Baltimore County Office of Law. I began my legal career in 1981, handling litigation for several small and mid-sized firms. I left private practice in 1987, working with the Maryland Department of General Service’s Office of Real Estate and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. While working for the Office of Real Estate, one of my major projects was working with the Maryland Stadium Authority to acquire the properties that ultimately became Orioles Park at Camden Yards, and the M&T Stadium. I left State government in 1997, and joined the Baltimore County Office of Law, serving initially as an Assistant County Attorney, and then as the Chief of Transactions. In 2007, I returned briefly to private practice, before rejoining the Baltimore County Office of Law serving initially as its Chief Transactional Attorney, and most recently as the Deputy County Attorney for Transactions. I have also served as Counsel to both the Baltimore County Ethics Commission and the Baltimore County Revenue Authority and am a frequent lecturer on the subjects of government ethics, recordation and transfer tax, green leasing and government procurement.
Education/background:
JD, University of Baltimore School of Law, Baltimore, Maryland, 1980
AB, French, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1978
Areas of Practice:
Government procurement and contracting, economic development, affordable housing, information technology, real estate, land use and development, environmental protection, recordation and transfer tax, banking and investments, construction and public works, grants, loans and bond financing.
Professional Associations:
Member, Maryland Bar since 1981
Member – Maryland State Bar Association
Member – Baltimore County Bar Association
Which professional and/or personal accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am very proud of my work in helping to acquire the properties that became Camden Yards and M&T Stadium. Most recently, I am proud to have been able to work with developers to bring more affordable housing to our County, and to help bring new businesses into the County through loan, grant and bond transactions. I am also very proud to have been involved in the Owings Mills Metro Centre, the County’s first transit oriented development, the Tradepoint Atlantic project, which converted the former Bethlehem Steel site into a global logistics hub that generated billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs for the region, and the acquisition and revitalization of the Pikesville Armory. I also enjoy the fact that my job requires me to deal with all of the County agencies, which allows me to continue learning. But my proudest accomplishment has been mentoring other attorneys, and watching them pay it forward, but mentoring those who have come after them.
Who are some women that inspire you?
I was inspired by the women in my family – my mother, grandmother and aunts. I am also inspired by the many women who were and are unwilling to accept the glass ceiling, but strive to make things better for future generations. There are too many to name.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
When I started practicing, it was hard for professional women to get the respect their male counterparts received. We have made great strides over the years, but as recent history has shown, our perceived rights can be taken away in an instant. It is important that the lessons learned over the years continue to be shared, so that our voices continue to be heard.