Ericka Downie is part of the Baltimore litigation group. She brings over 20 years of experience in complex litigation to her practice, focusing on product liability for pharmaceutical and medical devices, toxic torts, and environmental litigation. She has served on trial teams involved in some of the most complex and high-profile litigations of the last two decades. A member of the High Potentials Program class of 2025, Ericka received her JD from the University of Maryland's Francis King Carey School of Law.

What inspired you to pursue a career in law?

I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer. I can’t really pinpoint the moment but it was always what I said I wanted to be, even as a little girl. I wanted to do something that would challenge me and of which I could be proud.

Why did you select your practice area?

Out of law school, my first job was in litigation and I was in a firm that gave me early opportunities to be in the courtroom, arguing motions and handling small trials. I absolutely loved it. I got nervous then and I still get nervous at times but I truly enjoy walking into a courtroom knowing that anything can happen. Products liability was also the area of litigation to which I was exposed early in my career and I remain there. 

The law doesn’t change much in the products arena but the products do. I learn about different pharmaceuticals, medical devices, toxic exposures and the science behind the plaintiff's claims. It keeps the job interesting as you work to develop different strategies that will resonate with judge and jury.

Can you tell us about your family background and how it has influenced your life and career choices? 

Neither one of my parents had the opportunity to go to college. My father worked hard throughout his life to give me and my sister opportunities that he didn’t have. He wanted his daughters to know that we could be anything as long as gave it our best. Knowing what he sacrificed for us pushes me to make him proud.

What do you hope to accomplish in the High Potentials Program?

This program is truly a fantastic program that helps you focus on what it is you want generally from your career and specifically within the firm. I’m truly grateful to have been given the opportunity be part of it. The lessons that I’ve learned will stay with me and I will use them every day in how I conduct myself as a leader in the firm as well as developing business.

What qualities do you admire most about your peers in the legal profession?

Tenacity and integrity – the combination of the two is unbeatable.

What is one piece of advice that greatly impacted you and your career trajectory?

I’ve heard others say this and it has been said to me but it is easy to forget – just be yourself. I’ve had some fantastic mentors in my career and worked with attorneys that I greatly admire. Frankly, a lot of them have been men. I can never be them or handle myself in the way that they do. I have to find my own way and be authentically me. People, including clients and juries, respond to someone who is being genuine, rather than trying to be something that you’re not.