The Honorable Steve Leifman

Judge Steve Leifman served as associate administrative judge of the Miami-Dade County Court Criminal Division from 2000 until his retirement in 2024 and is a national leader in reforming how the justice system responds to mental illness. In 2000, he founded the 11th Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project, which diverts people with serious mental illnesses from the criminal justice system into treatment, and chaired it for 24 years. As special advisor on criminal justice and mental health to the Supreme Court of Florida, he chaired the subcommittee that authored “Transforming Florida’s Mental Health System,” a nationally recognized blueprint for reducing unnecessary justice involvement. He co-chairs the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Mental Health Committee and JPLI. His honors include the 2015 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence and the 2023 Papal Medal Benemerenti, bestowed by Pope Francis for his work on behalf of people with mental illnesses.