Former MSBA President Seymour B. Stern passed away on August 10, 2023. He was 85 years old.
Stern was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 24, 1937, but lived in Frederick for most of his life. After graduating from Frederick High School in 1956, he attended Franklin & Marshall College, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science and government. He then obtained his JD from the University of Maryland School of Law and returned to Frederick in 1963 to practice law.
Stern was a founding member of the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL), an institution that became the leading provider of continuing legal education in Maryland for over 34 years. During his tenure, which spanned the organization’s first 15 years, he held various key roles, including president, vice president, and secretary.
Beyond his involvement with MICPEL, Stern’s legal career spanned nearly six decades. He was a partner in a number of local and regional law firms before founding Seymour B. Stern & Associates P.A., a general practice firm serving individuals, families and entities with estate, business, family and real estate needs, in 2000. In 2013, he merged with Offit Kurman, where he practiced full time until 2021, when he was appointed to Senior Counsel.
Stern was an active member of the Maryland legal community throughout his career. He served as the President of the MSBA from 1990-1991. During his tenure, the association created a partnership between attorneys and physicians to fight drug abuse, a project jointly sponsored with the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland. The project won the ABA Partnership Award for the most outstanding program out of 52 bar association entries.
Former MSBA President Katherine Kelly Howard, Esq., General Counsel for Regional Management, Inc., recalled, “As MSBA President [Stern] was very supportive of young lawyers, like myself and others, something all of us appreciated. His promotion of continuing legal education and MICPEL encouraged all Maryland lawyers to voluntarily hone their skills and broaden their knowledge through MSBA’s excellent programs.” Howard noted, “[Stern] was proud of being a lawyer and he was one of Frederick’s best.”
Stern also chaired the Maryland Judicial Nominating Commission and held life fellowships with both the Maryland Bar Foundation and the American Bar Foundation. His dedication to his profession earned him numerous awards and commendations, including acknowledgments from various governors for his significant contributions to the state.
In addition to his professional engagements, Stern was actively involved in the Frederick community. He was a member of multiple organizations, including the Rotary Club, Frederick Community College, where he served as a board chair, and Frederick Memorial Health Care Systems, where he served as a board member and Vice Chair. He dedicated his time and resources to numerous charitable causes as well, including the Community Foundation of Frederick and Beth Sholom Synagogue. His commitment to the Frederick community earned him the moniker “The Mayor of Frederick.”
Stern had a lasting impact on those he worked with throughout his life. As fellow past-President James P. Nolan of Council, Baradel, Kosmerl & Nolan, P.A. said, Stern “was a wonderful person, talented lawyer and well respected MSBA President. This is a tremendous loss to his family, friends, and community.”
Stern is survived by his wife of 59 years, Lee Stern, his children Steven and his wife Jamye, Adam and his wife Lauren, and Eric, and his grandchildren.
Services were held at Sol Levinson’s Chapel in Pikesville, Maryland, on Sunday, August 13th, 2023. Interment was private.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Stern’s memory to the Community Foundation of Frederick County, Beth Sholom of Frederick, Maryland, or a community non-profit of your choice.