2025 Judicial Conference Program

Thursday APRIL 24 cont’d.

Empathetic Advocacy: Effective Communication Strategies with Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in Legal Settings Approximately 90,000 people in Maryland are diagnosed with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), with 75% having mild or hidden disabilities. Given these numbers, legal professionals are likely to interact with this population. This session aims to provide information regarding characteristics and traits of individuals with I/DD, including communication differences for verbal and nonverbal, sensory challenges, auditory processing, and social interaction and behavioral differences that may be exhibited. The session will also provide legal professionals tools and strategies for empathic communication with individuals with I/DD. Legal professionals will also hear from self-advocate educators with lived experience from LeadAbility, who will present from their experience on the importance of feeling safe, understood, and included. FACULTY: Hon. Mark F. Scurti, District 1, Baltimore City Dr. Leah Katherine Saal, Ph.D., Co-Founder & COO, LeadAbility Dr. Lisa A. Schoenbrodt Ed.D., CCC-SLP Co-Founder & CEO, LeadAbility With LeadAbility Self-Advocate Educators Skipjack Empowering Justice: The Role of Judges and Civil Legal Services in Streamlining Court Efficiency In an era of increasing caseloads and demands for faster, more accessible justice, both judges and civil legal service providers need to understand their collective role in streamlining court processes. This workshop will explore the critical intersections between judicial responsibilities and civil legal services in enhancing the efficiency of the judicial system, particularly in civil cases. Participants will gain insights into how judges, as impartial decision-makers, can work alongside civil legal services to reduce delays, improve case management, and ensure that legal proceedings are accessible, fair, and transparent for all parties involved. FACULTY: Hon. Wayne A. Brooks, District 10, Howard County Hon. Dennis M. Robinson Jr., Circuit Court for Baltimore County Pamela Ortiz, Director, AOC, Access to Justice Amy Petkovsek, Executive Director of the Community Law Center and member of the Maryland Supreme Court’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono Michelle D. Siri, Executive Director of Maryland Legal Services Corporation Schooner

2025 JUDICIAL CONFERENCE

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