SCTLA Elections: Candidate Platforms
- sctladc
- Aug 4
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 7
Candidate for President: Steve LoGerfo
"I am excited to run for SCTLA president. Previously, I have been SCTLA Vice-President from 2022-2026 and have been active in this courthouse since 2012.
I look forward to leading this wonderful organization by advocating for all our pressing issues to the judiciary, D.C. Government and the Department of Corrections.
I also am excited to engage with all of you about future SCTLA programming and supports we can provide. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with questions, concerns and ideas.
Thank you for your consideration!"
Candidate for Vice President: Joseph Fay
"I am running for Vice President of our organization to provide continuity and strong leadership for the next two years. I am currently finishing a term on SCTLA's board. As a group, your current leadership has been successful at representing our shared interests in conversations with the judges. I believe it is important for people who are currently serving in some capacity to continue on because we are familiar with the current issues such as excessive caseload, discovery issues, busy calendars, trial delays, the many committees we are asked to take part in and, of course, strategic and tactical issues at the US Attorneys Office that create unnecessary work for us. I look forward to hearing about concerns of the membership and continuing to represent this organization."
Candidate for Secretary: Martine Kaplan
"I am running for secretary to continue my service to the SCTLA community. It has been an honor to serve on the board for the last two years and I am excited for what we can accomplish in the next term. Besides taking notes well, I especially want to help the organization continue to advocate for our needs with the PTB and support our new members."
Candidate for Treasurer: Karen Minor
"I am running for Treasurer of SCTLA for a second time. I have enjoyed my last two years in the position and served SCTLA dutifully. It would be a treat to again serve as Treasurer. I have made sure we have stayed fiscally well off the last two years and hope to do so again. Thank you."
Candidate for Board Member: Antonio Camacho
"1. Why do I want to be a board member?
SCATLA needs improvement. To improve an organization, a board member needs to understand three key areas.
1. What is the mission? Access to courts and trial advocacy.
2. What does the future look like? Improve our organization in the areas that matter to you.
3. Create a plan to decrease the gaps between the current state and the future state.
To design the future, the team needs to develop objectives. As a board member:
1. Within 60 days of election, I will create and share an electronic questionnaire to record the voice of the organization—your voice.
2. Within 60 days after members have completed the questionnaire, I will organize the responses into categories and assign an overall priority score.
3. Create an action plan to address the issues that matter to you. And execute the plan."
Candidate for Board Member: Damon Catacalos
"Greetings Esteemed Colleagues. I throw my hat the ring for the SCTLA Board for the simple reason of wanting to give back. I have benefitted from the service of others over the 16 years of being on the panel, and I, like Samwise Gamgee, offer to help carry the load. Frankly, I have no so specific plans and objectives, but I'll listen to yall and pay attention to the responsibilities that come with being on the Board. Alrighty Then!, Damon "
Candidate for Board Member: Tonya Harris
"I am honored to put my name forward for a seat on the SCTLA Board of Directors. I come to this candidacy with over twenty years of executive leadership experience — as a school principal and superintendent of schools — and, importantly, as an attorney who graduated from law school just three years ago. That combination gives me a perspective I believe is genuinely unique in this race: I understand institutional leadership at the highest level, and I understand what it feels like to be new to this work. The challenges facing CJA panel attorneys require fresh thinking and bold advocacy. My platform is built around five areas where I believe SCTLA can lead, not just respond."
Candidate for Board Member: Daniel Kovler
"My name is Daniel Kovler, and I am running for a second term on the SCTLA Board of Directors.
I have devoted my professional career to indigent criminal defense and DC Superior Court –after graduating from Georgetown Law, I spent a year clerking for Judge Morin, where I was able to learn from an incredibly thoughtful and effective leader in Superior Court. I spent four years in the Maryland Office of the Public Defender before coming back to DC and getting on the panel in 2015. Since 2015, I have worked on virtually every type of case in Superior Court,
and I believe almost everyone has had the opportunity to work with me, see me in action in court, or at least have been pulled aside by me in the courthouse hallways so I can run a fact pattern or possibly-absurd legal theory by you.
It has been my pleasure and honor to serve on the SCTLA board the last two years, and I hope to continue working on the board for the next term. We have made some significant gains in the past two years – increases in the annual cap, changes in how judges set show-cause hearings, recruiting great new panel members, and improving our mentorship and CLE programs – all while helping everyone weather the storm of the Trump administration’s takeover of DC and absurdist mismanagement of the US Attorney’s Office. SCTLA stands as a bulwark against injustice and cruelty in our court system, and there has never been a more important time for the SCTLA board to support our membership as we all take on an unprecedented challenge.
I try my best to be accepting, friendly, and always willing to consider new ideas, so as a board member my door (and email inbox) will continue to always be open.
Thank you for your consideration."
Candidate for Board Member: Michelle Lockard
"My name is Michelle Lockard, and I am asking for your vote for a seat on the SCTLA Board of Directors.I have practiced in D.C. Superior Court as a sole practitioner at Lockard Law, handling family law, criminal defense, and civil matters. This courthouse is where I work every day, and SCTLA is the professional home of the attorneys who work alongside me.I come to this race without prior SCTLA board experience — and I think that is actually a strength. I do not have relationships to protect or positions to maintain. What I have is a commitment to showing up, listening to what members are dealing with, and advocating for practical solutions to real problems.The attorneys in this organization face genuine challenges — in the courthouse, in their practices, and in a legal landscape that is constantly shifting. A board that is responsive to those challenges, rather than simply perpetuating the priorities of other agencies and the Court, is a board worth belonging to.I am running to give members a seat at the table that is truly theirs. I would be grateful for your support."
Candidate for Board Member: John Machado
"I have been a CJA attorney since 1996 and have been on the CJA Panel for DC Superior Court since its inception. I previously served as a member of SCTLA Board of Directors from approximately 2012 to 2022. I helped with the creation of the Spanish Duty Day Attorney Panel ( "Span Pan") and have been a member of it from the start, as well as overseeing it for the first few years. I also supervised the reporting of CLE's for SCTLA members for about eight years. Last year I was honored to be awarded SCTLA's Advocate's Torch Award. I am also a member of the US District Court Panel in DC and Eastern District of Virginia - Alexandria. Despite not being an officer of SCTLA, for the past 4 years I have helped support our fellow attorneys by being in charge of purchasing and overseeing Lawyer's Lounge amenities, such as coffee and the refrigerator. I am hoping to return to the Board to provide my support and wisdom from my 30+ years as a CJA attorney and help develop new ideas to better enhance our attorneys and our practice in DC Superior Court."
Candidate for Board Member: Laura Roman
"Hello, my name is Laura Roman, and I a provisional member of the panel running for a board seat.
I am excited for the opportunity to represent the panel on the board. The strongest part of the panel is our collegiality, camaraderie, and dedication to helping our clients. If elected, I will work to maintain these aspects, represent the provisional members, and grow our community. I am proud to be a member of the panel, and I am looking forward to helping any way that I can."
Candidate for Board Member: Michelle Stevens
"I have been a member of the adult CJA panel and SCTLA since 2013. I am committed to supporting SCTLA’s mission of defending D.C. residents in D.C. Superior Court. I am, as we all are, dedicated to the pursuit of justice, individual rights, access to courts, and trial advocacy. 100% of my practice is, and has always been, indigent criminal defense in DC Superior Court. I have worked on a wide variety of cases, from witness representation to homicides, and everything in between.
My experiences as a CJA lawyer working in D.C. Superior Court over the past 13 years have given me insight into the struggles the defense bar faces when providing representation. I would like to be on the Board of Directors so that I can help SCTLA advocate for the interests of the defense bar before the Powers That Be in Superior Court."
Candidate for Board Member: Shawn Sukumar
"My name is Shawn Sukumar. I have been a criminal defense lawyer in Superior Court since 2010 and joined the CJA Panel in 2023. Leaving the firm where I worked for 13 years to strike out on my own was a huge career shift. To be honest, the idea of managing a CJA caseload all by myself was terrifying. But I quickly learned that I wasn't by myself at all as SCTLA and the other members of the panel stepped up with a helping hand, ear, and sample motions. This past year has been difficult for all of us, but solidarity makes us better, happier lawyers (we can't do right by our clients if we're miserable, right?).
With that in mind, I'm asking for your consideration for a seat on the SCTLA Board of Directors. I see this role as a way to help all of us support each other in our efforts to be the best lawyers we can be. With caseloads increasing and placing significant strain on all of our lives, I would like to focus on getting our name out there to potential new panel members, making jail visits easier and more efficient, and continuing efforts begun by current SCTLA leadership to facilitate C10 pickups (more money wouldn't hurt, either).
Thank you for your consideration, I won't let you down!"
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