Are you thinking of law school? Ever thought of running for elected office to design health policies that shape the nation? Join Congressman John Sarbanes as he shares his journey from practicing law to representing Maryland’s 3rd district for 18 years. Learn actionable strategies for building a career in public service, navigating policy roles, and creating meaningful change through government service. Gain practical insights from Congressman Sarbanes’ experience in healthcare reform, environmental stewardship, and democratic reform. He joined the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University for 2025 as its first Distinguished Practitioner in Residence.
Where: The Link
Hopkins Bloomberg Center, Washington, D.C.
Bio:
In January 2025, Congressman Sarbanes retired from the U.S. House of Representatives after 18 years representing Maryland’s 3rd District. His time in Congress was anchored by service on the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he focused on health, environment and energy issues. As Chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force, Sarbanes also led congressional efforts to advance HR1, the Freedom to Vote Act, a historic suite of reforms to protect the right to vote, clean up corruption in Washington and restore trust, transparency and integrity in government. On the education front, he authored legislation establishing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which to date has brought student debt relief to over a million individuals pursuing careers as teachers, nurses, social workers, first responders, service members, and other careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. Prior to entering Congress, Sarbanes spent nearly two decades as a health care attorney at the Venable law firm and seven years leading school reform efforts at the Maryland Department of Education. Sarbanes is a graduate of Princeton University and earned a Fulbright Scholarship to Greece before attending Harvard Law School. He is currently serving as Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the SNF Agora Institute for Global Democracy at Johns Hopkins University.