Katherine Ann Maraman (born 1951) is an American judge who has been a member of the

Supreme Court of Guam The Supreme Court of Guam is the highest judicial body of the United States territory of Guam. The Court hears all appeals from the Superior Court of Guam and exercises original jurisdiction only in cases where a certified question is submitted t ...

since 2008. From 2017 to 2020, she served as the court's chief justice, becoming the first female chief justice on the island and across

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

Biography

Katherine Maraman was born in

Los Alamos, New Mexico Los Alamos is an census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, that is recognized as the development and creation place of the atomic bomb—the primary objective of the Manhattan Project by Los Alamos National Labora ...

, in 1951. Her mother had immigrated to the United States from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, settling first in Chicago before moving to the southwest. Maraman attended

Los Alamos High School Los Alamos High School (LAHS) is the public high school in Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA. The school opened in 1946, and was originally supported by the Atomic Energy Commission. It has been academically recognized by ''Newsweek'', '' U.S. News & ...

, then

Colorado College Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates at its campus. The college offer ...

, where she graduated in 1973 with a degree in economics. Having graduating from the

University of New Mexico School of Law The University of New Mexico School of Law (UNM Law or New Mexico Law) is the law school of the University of New Mexico, a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1947, it is the first and only law school in the state. ...

in 1976, after working briefly at the New Mexico Legislative Council Service, she moved to

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

to work for a law firm there in 1977. She now describes the island as her adoptive home. She subsequently served as a legal advisor to the

Legislature of Guam The Legislature of Guam ( ch, Liheslaturan Guåhan) is the law-making body for the United States territory of Guam. The unicameral legislative branch consists of fifteen senators, each serving for a two-year term. All members of the legislature a ...

and to Governor

Joseph Franklin Ada Joseph Franklin Ada (born December 3, 1943), better known as Joseph F. Ada, is an American (U.S. citizen) politician who served as the 5th Governor of Guam from 1987 to 1995. Before his accession to the governorship, Ada previously served as the 3 ...

. Then, beginning in 1994, she was appointed to the Superior Court of Guam, where she served for 14 years. During her time at the Superior Court, she primarily focused on

family court Family courts were originally created to be a Court of Equity convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, including custody of children, and could disregard certain legal requirements as long as the petitioner/plaintif ...

cases. Then, in 2008, she was appointed by Governor

Felix Perez Camacho Felix James Pérez Camacho (born October 30, 1957) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 7th Governor of Guam from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party of Guam, he had previously served as a six-term senator in the ...

to serve on the

. She is currently an associate justice, having served as chief justice from 2017 to 2020. On her election in 2017, she became Guam's first female chief justice. As a justice, her work has included efforts to improve how the courts handle

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

. Maraman concurrently serves part-time as an associate judge on the

Supreme Court of Palau The Supreme Court of Palau is the highest court of Palau. Article X of the Constitution vests the Supreme Court with judicial power and provides for its operation and jurisdiction. The Supreme Court is divided into a Trial Division and an Appel ...

. She also teaches as an

adjunct professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the genera ...

at the

University of Guam University of Guam ( ch, Unibetsedåt Guåhan) (U.O.G.) is a public land-grant university in Mangilao, Guam. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and offers thirty-four degree programs at the undergraduate level a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maraman, Katherine 1951 births People from Los Alamos, New Mexico American women judges Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Guam Justices of the Supreme Court of Guam American women lawyers Guamanian lawyers University of New Mexico School of Law alumni Colorado College alumni University of Guam faculty Living people