Erek Barron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erek Barron
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Official portrait, 2021
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| United States Attorney for the District of Maryland | |
| In office October 7, 2021 – February 12, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Jonathan F. Lenzner |
| Succeeded by | Phil Selden (acting) |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 24th district |
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| In office January 14, 2015 – October 7, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Darren Swain |
| Succeeded by | Faye Martin Howell |
| Constituency | Prince George's County, Maryland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 (age 50–51) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residences | Bowie, Maryland, U.S. |
| Education | University of Maryland, College Park (BA) George Washington University (JD) Georgetown University (LLM) |
| Signature |  |
Erek Lawrence Barron (born 1974) is an American lawyer who has held important roles in government. He served as the top federal prosecutor for Maryland, known as the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, from 2021 to 2025. Before that, he was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, which is part of Maryland's state legislature, from 2015 to 2021. He was the first African American to become the U.S. Attorney in Maryland.
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Early Life and Education
Erek Barron was born in 1974 in Washington, D.C.. He went to Episcopal High School in Virginia. In 1996, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Maryland, College Park.
He continued his education in law. He received his law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from the George Washington University Law School in 1999. He then became a licensed lawyer in Maryland. In 2007, he earned another advanced law degree, a Master of Laws (LL.M.), from the Georgetown University Law Center. This degree focused on international and national security law.
Career Highlights
Erek Barron started his legal career as a prosecutor. He worked for Prince George's County and Baltimore City from 2001 to 2006. From 2006 to 2007, he was a trial lawyer for the United States Department of Justice. He also worked as an advisor to Senator Joe Biden on the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2007 to 2009.
Private Law Practice
After working in government, Barron joined a private law firm in 2009. He focused on different types of legal cases, including civil and criminal lawsuits. He helped people who were accused of crimes. For example, in 2015, he helped overturn a serious criminal conviction and death sentence in a case where the prosecutor had acted unfairly.
Serving in the Maryland Legislature
Barron was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2014. He started his term on January 14, 2015. In his first year, he and three other male lawmakers joined the Women's Legislators of Maryland Caucus. This was a notable step, as they were the first men in the U.S. to join a women's caucus. He was also a member of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.
During his time in the legislature, Barron worked on important issues. He focused on making the justice system fairer, improving public health, and making sure the government was accountable. He helped create the Justice Reinvestment Act in 2016. This law aimed to reduce the number of people in prison for less serious crimes. It also helped to put money into programs that support people rejoining society.
In 2019, he became a co-chair of a committee that looked into fair practices in state government. He also led an investigation into a large payment made to a former state official.
United States Attorney for Maryland
On July 26, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Erek Barron to be the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination on September 30, 2021. He officially took office on October 7, 2021. This made him the first African American to hold this important position in Maryland.
As U.S. Attorney, Barron worked to reduce violent crime in Baltimore. His office worked with state and local police to prosecute serious crimes. These efforts helped to lower the rates of homicides and shootings in Baltimore. His office also focused on prosecuting fraud cases, especially those related to COVID-19. He also worked to make the U.S. Attorney's Office more diverse.
He oversaw several important legal cases. These included federal prosecutions of former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and former state official Roy McGrath. His office also handled legal actions related to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in 2024.
Barron resigned from his position on February 12, 2025. Many leaders in Maryland praised his work and his collaborative style. He was succeeded by Phil Selden, who served as acting U.S. Attorney.
After Being U.S. Attorney
In May 2025, Erek Barron joined a law firm called Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo. He now works on cases involving white-collar defense and government investigations. He also leads the firm's team that helps with crisis management.
Legislative Work and Political Engagement
Criminal Justice Reform
Erek Barron was a strong supporter of criminal justice reform. In 2016, he pushed for changes to laws that required minimum sentences for certain crimes. He also worked to stop colleges from asking about applicants' criminal histories on admission forms.
He also focused on how people are held in jail before their trials. In 2016, he asked the Attorney General of Maryland to review if setting bail amounts that people couldn't afford was fair. This led to a rule change in 2017 that made it harder for judges to set bail too high. Barron later tried to make this rule a state law.
Barron also worked on improving mental health care for people in the justice system. In 2018, he helped pass a law that set deadlines for mentally ill defendants to receive psychiatric treatment.
In 2019, he sponsored a law that made it easier for prosecutors to overturn unfair convictions. He also introduced a measure requiring jails to offer addiction screening and treatment. This bill became law in 2019. In 2020, he helped pass a law to make it easier to prosecute cases where witnesses were intimidated.
National Politics
In April 2019, Erek Barron was one of the first lawmakers in Maryland to support Joe Biden's presidential campaign.
Transportation Improvements
Barron also supported better transportation. In 2016, he proposed ways to improve the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which runs the Metro system. He suggested dedicated funding and changes to its leadership. In 2018, he introduced a bill to increase Maryland's financial contribution to Metro. He also proposed creating an independent inspector general for WMATA to oversee its operations.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2021
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Erek Barron's signature
