Join the ACLU of Maryland, Montgomer County Chapter, for their Chapter meeting on Wednesday, November 11, 2020. There will be a presentaton on "Alternatives to Calling the Police".

Stephanie Joseph has been a public defender in Maryland for over 17 years, serving in both Prince George’s and Montgomery County. Stephanie specializes in representing children charged in both adult and juvenile court. Prior to becoming a public defender, Stephanie directed a program for youth at a Washington D.C. homeless shelter and served as a Soros-Open Society Institute Community Fellow working with girls in the juvenile Justice System. She is a Board Member of the ACLU of Maryland, as well as on several other legal services boards. Stephanie graduated from the University of Wisconsin, American University-Washington College of Law and the Washington Wine Academy.

Joanna Silver has been a member of the Silver Spring Justice Coalition (SSJC) since its founding in the summer of 2018. She is also active in Takoma Park Mobilization and Jews United for Justice, two of SSJC's organizational members. Professionally, Joanna is about to begin her 20th year as a public defender. She began her career at the Montgomery County Public Defender's Office and then moved to the Office of the Federal Defender for the District of Maryland, where she developed a specialty in the intersections between criminal and immigration law. Joanna's volunteer work focuses on immigrant and criminal justice at the County and State level. Joanna lives with her family in Silver Spring and is a member of the Community Social Action Council and the Board of Trustees for Temple Emanuel of Kensington, Maryland.

Jen Park is one of the first attorneys in Maryland to engage in the specialized practice of representing Emerging Adults at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. She previously served as the Juvenile Division supervisor and District Court Division supervisor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Jen started with the Prince George’s County Public Defender’s office as a law clerk in 2006. She has worked in the Prince George’s County courthouse ever since, first practicing in the misdemeanor division as a student attorney, then clerking for Judge Lamasney, and finally getting her dream job as an attorney with OPD in 2009. Born and raised in Maryland, Jen graduated from Blair High School. She briefly left the state to attend undergrad at Syracuse University, grad school at Ohio State, and law school at GW. She lives in the Woodmoor neighborhood of Silver Spring.

Idalis Vento is an Assistant Public Defender in Montgomery County. She currently works in the adult division of the District Court representing indigent members of our community. Idalis started working at the Office of the Public Defender in March of 2020. She received her Juris Doctorate from New England Law, Boston in 2019 and her Bachelor's of Art in History from Stetson University in 2016. She is currently a resident of Derwood.