To the Editor:

I am convinced our bench and community would be improved with the addition of Maraleen D. Shields on the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas.

Maraleen’s credentials are impressive.

She graduated from Kenyon College in Ohio, working her way through school. She earned a scholarship to attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she was an editor on law review and graduated at the top of her class, a distinction recognized by the honor society Order of the Coif.

For nearly two decades, Maraleen has lived and worked in the community, practicing in diverse areas of law and serving on local boards, with a particular emphasis on education. She has worked with attorneys and judges to better provide legal services to individuals with autism and improve the system to clear a backlog caused by the pandemic. The state Bar Association also recognized her for mentoring young professionals in the practice of the law.

These are all things that you can read about Maraleen and which undoubtedly make her an excellent candidate.

However, in addition to that, what I hear and see in Maraleen is someone who will reflect the diverse community the judiciary serves, thereby bolstering the legitimacy of justice meted out by the courts. She will bring humility, diversity and well-roundedness to the bench and will treat everyone with fairness, dignity and respect.

Please vote for Maraleen D. Shields as our next judge.

Mohammed Khaku

Upper Macungie Township