WGK Personal Injury Lawyers | September 18, 2026 | Firm News
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers is proud to announce that four of our attorneys have been selected to the 2027 Maryland lists published by Super Lawyers. Managing Attorney Jill Kolodner is selected to the 2027 Maryland Super Lawyers list, a distinction that goes to no more than 5% of the attorneys in the state.
Three more WGK attorneys are selected to the 2027 Maryland Rising Stars list, which is limited to no more than 2.5% of Maryland attorneys. Hunter Duke is selected for the third consecutive year, Mary Elizabeth Finke for the second consecutive year, and Reed J. Smith for 2027.
Selection to either list cannot be purchased. Each attorney’s name went through the Super Lawyers nomination and independent research evaluation before the list was set, and the recognition now runs from the firm’s Managing Attorney to an attorney who joined in 2025.
Jill Kolodner: Selected to the 2027 Maryland Super Lawyers List
Jill Kolodner is the Managing Attorney and owner of WGK Personal Injury Lawyers. She has been admitted to practice in Maryland since 1990 and in the District of Columbia since 1992, and she is also admitted to the U.S. District Court of Maryland and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.
The Super Lawyers list is capped at no more than 5% of the attorneys in a state, and candidates for it go through a peer evaluation by practice area that Rising Stars candidates do not. Of the four WGK attorneys recognized this year, Jill is the one on the Super Lawyers list; the other three are on Rising Stars. She leads the firm her father, William G. Kolodner, founded in 1977, and she serves as an Elected Director on the Sinai Hospital Board and as a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland Association for Justice.
Hunter Duke: Three Consecutive Years on the Maryland Rising Stars List
Hunter Duke is an attorney and the Chief Operating Officer of WGK Personal Injury Lawyers. His Maryland Rising Stars selection now covers 2025, 2026, and 2027, the longest run of the four attorneys recognized this year. The firm announced his first selection in December 2024 and his second in January 2026.
Hunter joined WGK in 2019 after earning his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and his practice focuses on automobile accidents, truck accidents, and wrongful death cases. The National Trial Lawyers has also named him to its Top 40 Under 40 and Top 25 in Auto Accidents. He also serves as President of the Jemicy School Alumni Association.
Mary Elizabeth Finke: Back-to-Back Rising Stars Selections
Mary Elizabeth Finke appears on the Maryland Rising Stars list for both 2026 and 2027. She is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia, and she represents clients in motor vehicle accident, dog bite, and slip-and-fall cases.
Mary earned a master’s degree in Forensic and Legal Psychology from Marymount University before completing her J.D. at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where she received the Columbus Award, voted by her peers, and the school’s Highest Pro Bono Distinction for more than 150 hours of pro bono work. In 2025 The National Trial Lawyers named her to its Top 40 Under 40 list alongside Hunter Duke.
Reed J. Smith: A Rising Stars Selection in His First Full Year at WGK
Reed J. Smith is selected to the Maryland Rising Stars list for 2027. He was admitted to the Maryland bar in 2025, joined WGK that November, and earned this selection during his first full year with the firm.
Reed graduated cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2025 and brought seven years of hands-on personal injury experience with him from before and during law school. A Baltimore County native, he represents people injured in automobile, bus, motorcycle, and truck accidents, as well as slip-and-fall and premises liability matters.
How Super Lawyers Selects Attorneys
Super Lawyers describes its selection process as patented, peer-influenced, and research-driven. Attorneys enter the process through nominations, and every candidate then goes through an independent research evaluation across 12 professional indicators. Candidates for the Super Lawyers list also go through a peer evaluation by practice area.
The full method is published on the Super Lawyers selection process page.
The two lists recognize attorneys at different stages of their careers. No more than 5% of the attorneys in a state are selected to the Super Lawyers list.
The Rising Stars list is limited to no more than 2.5% of a state’s attorneys, and to be eligible a lawyer must be 40 or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. Rising Stars candidates do not go through the peer evaluation step.
Selections are announced ahead of the year they name. Attorneys chosen for the 2027 Maryland edition were notified during 2026, and the 2027 Maryland Super Lawyers magazine is scheduled for publication in December 2026. No attorney can pay to be selected.
What This Recognition Means for WGK Clients
Recognition does not decide a case. Preparation and evidence do. What these selections show is that the attorneys handling WGK cases are recognized by an independent rating service that evaluates lawyers through nomination and research, with peer evaluation for the Super Lawyers list. That recognition spans the firm, from its Managing Attorney to an attorney in his first full year here.
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers has represented injured Marylanders since 1977. The firm has offices in Baltimore, Dundalk, and Largo, and its attorneys handle car accident, truck accident, wrongful death, premises liability, and workers’ compensation cases across the state.
The firm has also appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America for three consecutive years, most recently at No. 1,660 in 2026. The Inc. 5000 is a business growth ranking, not a legal award, and is not based on case results.
Meet the full team on our attorneys page, and read other announcements under firm news.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which WGK attorneys are on the 2027 Maryland Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists?
Jill Kolodner is selected to the 2027 Maryland Super Lawyers list. Hunter Duke, Mary Elizabeth Finke, and Reed J. Smith are selected to the 2027 Maryland Rising Stars list. Hunter’s selection covers 2025 through 2027, Mary’s covers 2026 and 2027, and Reed’s is for 2027.
What is the difference between Super Lawyers and Rising Stars?
Both lists are produced by Super Lawyers. The Super Lawyers list includes no more than 5% of the attorneys in a state and adds a peer evaluation by practice area. The Rising Stars list includes no more than 2.5% of a state’s attorneys and is open only to lawyers who are 40 or younger or have practiced for 10 years or less.
Can a lawyer pay to be named to Super Lawyers or Rising Stars?
No. Super Lawyers states that selection cannot be purchased. Candidates are nominated, researched, and, for the Super Lawyers list, peer evaluated before the final list is published.
Why is the list dated 2027 when it was announced in 2026?
Super Lawyers publishes each state edition for the coming year. Maryland attorneys selected for the 2027 edition were notified in 2026, and the 2027 Maryland magazine is scheduled for December 2026.
Talk With a Recognized Maryland Personal Injury Team
If you or a family member has been injured in Maryland, you can speak with a WGK attorney at no cost. Call (410) 837-2144 or reach us through our contact page. Consultations are free, and you pay nothing unless we win.