Goucher College is proud to honor The Honorable Miriam Brown Hutchins, Class of 1973, with the 2026 Marguerite Barland ’60 Merit Award. Throughout her life in public service, Hutchins has emphasized the humanity of others, the value of access to education, and the importance of treating everyone with respect.

As a child in the 1960s, Hutchins witnessed the first Black judges appointed to the bench in Baltimore City. After Goucher, Hutchins attended Georgetown University Law Center, then worked in the New York attorney general’s office, where she handled consumer protection cases. In 1988, she became assistant city solicitor for Baltimore. In 1990, she took on a role that concerned hearing matters of temporary custody, visitation, child support, and alimony. The work underscored the importance of listening to children and understanding what they thought and how they felt.

In 2000, Hutchins was appointed associate judge to the District Court of Maryland in Baltimore City, where she worked until her retirement in 2016. Throughout her career, she continued to advocate for children. For many years, she has worked with a University of Baltimore program called the Tackling Chronic Absenteeism Project. The project brings judges to schools to talk to students about the harm of missing class. Hutchins understands that these children face many obstacles—such as going without breakfast or helping a sibling get to school—so she doesn’t lecture them. Instead, she asks questions and talks to them about strategies to improve their performance in school, get to sleep on time, and get up for school. In 2023, the University of Baltimore awarded Hutchins for her work with the project, noting her special ability to draw children out of their shells.

Hutchins has also been a staunch advocate and leader for Goucher College. Through her work with Goucher—now as a member of the Board of Trustees and as a supporter of the Imani Fund, which helps first-generation college students afford study abroad experiences—her service and commitment to providing opportunities and experiences to the next generation are notable.

Hutchins does so much for so many communities. She has worked with the Baltimore chapter of the Links, which provides scholarships and health programs to African American communities. She is vice chair for the board of Baltimore Behavioral Health Systems, a nonprofit that manages city programs addressing mental health and addiction. And she’s on the board of INSeries Opera in DC, helping increase their presence in Baltimore.

With profound admiration for the care she gives to others, for her commitment to supporting access to education, and for her tireless work advocating for the vulnerable, we are proud to recognize The Honorable Miriam Brown Hutchins, Class of 1973, with the 2026 Marguerite Barland ’60 Merit Award.