2025 Judicial Conference Program

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF JUSTICE

CHIEF JUSTICE MATTHEW J. FADER Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Maryland

Dear Colleagues, Welcome to the 2025 Maryland Judicial Conference. This year’s conference theme is “Navigating the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Judicial Integrity.” This year, we will have four plenary presentations. The first plenary features the Honorable Paul W. Grimm (Ret.), United States District Court for the District of Maryland; Professor Kofi Nyarko, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Morgan State University; and Gabriella Waters, director of the Cognitive and Neurodiversity AI Lab (“CoNA Lab”) at Morgan State University. They will present on the intersection of AI-generated evidence, deepfakes, and the courts. Our second plenary will focus on practical, accessible AI tools and how these technologies can enhance legal research, case management, decision-making, and courtroom efficiency with a panel including the Honorable Jonathan Biran, Supreme Court of Maryland; Simon Greenman from Best Practices AI; and Jason V. Thomas, chief technology officer with Judicial Information Systems. Our third panel will present on de-escalation tactics and strategies for judges in stressful courtroom situations with the Honorable Stephanie Domitrovich (Ret.), Sixth Judicial District of Pennsylvania; Ella Greene, deputy from the sheriff’s office of Howard County; and Melissa Owens, Patient Not Prisoner. Our final plenary will feature the Honorable Myron H. Thompson (Sr.) of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama reflecting on his judicial service career and the legacy of Judge Frank Johnson. As usual, we will also welcome Timothy F. Maloney, Esq. of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA, to present a legislative update and offer many different workshops and court-specific sessions addressing a variety of other timely and important topics, including sentencing and diminution credits, judicial disabilities, and judicial wellness. This conference would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of the Judicial College; the Judicial Council’s Education Committee; the 2025 Judicial Conference Work Group, co-chaired by the Honorable Stephanie P. Porter and the Honorable Michael W. Siri; and the many justices, judges, and staff who have been involved in its organization and deserve full credit for its success. The work you do each day is vitally important within your community and throughout Maryland. Thank you for your dedication to the rule of law and your commitment to accessible, fair, efficient, and effective justice for all whom we serve — the people of the great state of Maryland. I look forward to a successful, informative, and enjoyable conference!

2025 JUDICIAL CONFERENCE

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