2023 Judicial Conference Program

MONA SAHAF VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE 34 35TH STREET | SUITE 4-2A | BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11232

MONA SAHAF works as the deputy director of Vera’s Reshaping Prosecution initiative, which helps communities increase public safety by shrinking the front end of the criminal system, addressing racial disparities in prosecution, and increasing prosecutors’ collaboration with the people most impacted by their decisions. She oversees her team’s technical assistance work. Before joining Vera in 2021, Mona worked as a federal prosecutor in the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions section at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and in the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office, where she focused on domestic violence and national security cases. At DOJ, Mona built a program to protect Central American migrants who were kidnapped in Mexico. In addition to her work at Vera, Mona serves on the boards of organizations working to preserve Kashmiri culture and secure human rights in Kashmir. Mona holds a bachelor’s in history and government from Georgetown University and a JD from Boston University

HONORABLE MARK F. SCURTI DISTRICT COURT IN BALTIMORE CITY BORGERDING DISTRICT COURT BUILDING | 5800 WABASH AVENUE | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21215

MARK F. SCURTI, Associate Judge , District Court of Maryland, District 1, Baltimore City, appointed September 3, 2013. Loyola College in Maryland, B.A. (marketing), 1985, M.B.A., 1987; University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., 1991. Admitted to Maryland Bar, 1991; District of Columbia Bar, 1993. Former equity partner, Pessin Katz Law, P.A., 2007-13. Current Committees: Member, Court Access and Community Relations Committee, 2015-, Sub Committee Chair- Self Represented Litigants, and Court Technology Committee, 2015-. Board of Directors, The Maryland Legal Services Corporation, 2012-15. Maryland State Bar Association (board of governors, 1998-2000, 2007-09, 2013-15); LGBT Bar Association of Maryland, 1991- (co-founder, chair, 1991-2004), Trustee, Maryland Bar Foundation, Past Chair and current board member, Free State Legal Project, Inc. Former Committees: alternative dispute resolution section; consumer bankruptcy section, 2004-, chair, 2006-13; delivery of legal services section; family and juvenile law section; Bar Association of Baltimore City (president, 2006-07; executive council, 2009- 10; chair, membership committee, 2000-01); Baltimore County Bar Association, 2010-; Member, Maryland State Trial Lawyers Association, 1991-93, 2004-05, 2007. Board of Directors and past president, Pro Bono Resource Center, 2000-03. Advisory Board, Chase Brexton Health Services, 2001-02. Editorial Board, Daily Record, 2007-09. Life fellow, Baltimore Bar Foundation, 1997; Maryland Bar Foundation, 1999. Presidential Award, Baltimore City Bar Association, 1997. Edward Shea Professionalism Award, 2000, Maryland Bar Foundation Legal Excellence in the Advancement of Public Understanding of the Law Award, 2013. Distinguished Community Service Award, GAYLAW, 2003. Leadership in Law Award, Daily Record, 2006. Alan J. Belsky Award, Consumer Bankruptcy Section, Maryland State Bar Association, 2010 and 2011. Volunteer of the Year, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Services, 2011. Top 100 Civil and Human Rights Award, Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland, 2011.

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