Claude de Vastey Jones, an attorney with Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, joined the board of directors for Heritage Housing Partners Corp., which works to promote and provide affordable housing in Howard County.

“This is such a wonderful opportunity to serve on the board of Heritage Housing Partners, whose mission is to meet one of the most basic needs of all people: affordable housing,” Jones said. “I look forward to working with the board on this very important endeavor and making a difference for those in need.”

De Vastey Jones’ practice focuses on cases involving litigation before federal and Maryland courts and administrative agencies, including business, commercial and personal injury matters. She has more than 20 years of experience in law, including as deputy state’s attorney for Anne Arundel County.

As deputy state’s attorney, de Vastey Jones supervised and managed over 100 staff members, prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases, taught at the Anne Arundel County and Howard County police academies and provided counsel to law enforcement agencies. Previously, she served in multiple roles in the Office of the State’s Attorney for Howard County, including chief of the District Court Division. Earlier in her career, de Vastey Jones was a law clerk for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and the Office of Attorney General Department of Juvenile Services.

She is a member of the Maryland State Bar and United States District Court for Maryland. In addition, she is a Maryland Bar Foundation fellow and belongs to the Maryland State Bar, Anne Arundel Bar and Howard County Bar associations.

De Vastey Jones graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law with certificates in family law and international law. Previously, she studied international law in Germany with Georgetown University and earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Maryland.

Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr LLP has provided a broad range of legal services to businesses, individuals and families throughout Maryland for more than four decades. Headquartered in Columbia, CarneyKelehan offers a wide spectrum of legal services, particularly real estate development and construction, land use and zoning, education, wills, estate administration and probate work, arbitration, mediation, administrative law, employment law, liquor licensing, business, labor and litigation in state and federal courts. CarneyKelehan also has offices in Annapolis, Westminster and Salisbury. (www.carneykelehan.com)