Author: Joan Bellistri

The Law Library welcomes John Jeffrey Ross, who will serve as a library associate.  Jeff brings to the library extensive experience both as an attorney and as a library para-professional.  In August, 2015, Jeff retired from the Office of the Staff Attorney, the Court of Special Appeals, having served as an assistant staff attorney for 14 years following a brief stint in private practice.  After his retirement, Jeff began working pro bono on the reference staff of the Maryland State Law Library at the appellate courts building in Annapolis.  He has also worked as an information substitute for evening and weekend work with the Anne Arundel County Public Library for nearly 25 years.

Jeff graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in December, 1978.  During most of this time, he worked full-time as a pretrial services officer with the District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency, a component of the local and federal courts in that jurisdiction.  He was an editor of the University of Baltimore Law Forum.  Immediately following law school, Jeff was a legal editor with the Securities Regulation & Law Report, published by the Bureau of National Affairs in Washington, D.C.  In 1980, Jeff was appointed to serve as a law clerk to the late Hon. Robert M. Scott, an associate judge of the District of Columbia Superior Court.  Following his clerkship, he worked as an attorney with the United States Department of Labor, including service with DOL’s Office of the Solicitor litigating labor cases before administrative tribunals and federal courts of appeal.  He has argued cases before the Second, Third, Fourth, Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits, as well as the Department of Labor’s Benefits Review Board and DOL administrative law judges.

Jeff served on active duty with the United States Marine Corps from 1966 to 1969, with a tour in the Republic of Vietnam from June 1968 until shortly before his discharge from active duty in June 1969.  He entered college that same summer, and in January, 1973, Jeff earned an A.B. degree in Psychology from the George Washington University, completing his degree requirements while working full-time as a security officer with the George Washington University Medical Center.  Following college, Jeff joined the Peace Corps, serving as a volunteer in Peru working in infrastructure projects in the Ancash region that had been devastated by the 1970 earthquake.  He entered law school shortly after his return to the United States.

Jeff has been admitted to practice in Maryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, as well as a number of federal courts.  He remains an active member of the Maryland Bar, and has retired from active practice in the other jurisdictions.  Jeff is an active member of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) and the Law Library Association of Maryland.  Most recently, he has participated in the NPCA legislative advocacy, appearing on Capitol Hill with other returned volunteers to urge Congressional approval of the Peace Corps budget and pertinent legislation that affects the Peace Corps.

The highlight of Jeff’s legal career was his appearance before an Eleventh Circuit panel that included the Hon. Frank M. Johnson, Jr., an iconic figure in American Civil Rights history.  Atlantic Container Service, Inc. v. Coleman, 904 F.2d 611 (11th Cir. 1990).  Perhaps one of his more interesting cases was when he represented an Eastern Shore farm in a federal forfeiture action.  United States v. 300 Blue Heron Farm Lane, etc., 115 F. Supp. 2d 525 (D. Md. 2000).