The Honorable Cory M. Chandler

Cory M. Chandler was appointed by Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring on July 20, 2023.

Judge Chandler has been a practicing attorney since 2000. Her legal practice focused on litigating cases involving child abuse and neglect, child support, domestic violence, and mental health. In March 2020, she was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge with the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings. In this capacity, she presided over matters in the Licensing and Enforcement Division, conducting evidentiary hearings and deferential appellate reviews for cases involving various District agencies.

Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Chandler served as the General Counsel for the Child and Family Services Agency for the District of Columbia. Throughout her tenure, she also played a pivotal role as a member of the DC Child Fatality Review Committee. Her exemplary service and outstanding leadership were recognized in 2018 when she received both the Champion Award and the Four Pillars Hero Award.

Judge Chandler's career in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia spanned fifteen years, beginning in 1999. She started as an inaugural candidate for the Honors Program, working on abuse and neglect appellate briefs in the Appellate Division. Later, she transitioned to the Child Protection Section, where she prosecuted child abuse and neglect cases as an Assistant Attorney General. Judge Chandler then became the Chief of Child Protection Section IV, supervising cases involving termination of parental rights and adoption. The following year, Judge Chandler was elevated to Assistant Deputy Attorney General and was appointed by Mayor Adrian Fenty as Chair of the DC Child Support Guideline Commission. Her career in the office culminated with her appointment as Deputy Attorney General of the Family Services Division where she had oversight of the Child Protection Sections, the Domestic Violence Section, and the Mental Health Section.

Judge Chandler is a proud native Washingtonian, born and raised in Southeast DC. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Towson State University in 1996 cum laude. She received her Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 1999.

She is a member of several professional organizations including the National Association of Women Judges, Washington Bar Association Judicial Council, and the National Bar Association Judicial Council. She has been a member of the Greater Washington Area Chapter of the National Bar Association since 2011. Judge Chandler volunteers for the National Federation of the Blind Maryland, National Harbor Chapter. She lives in the District and has one daughter.