The District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure (CJDT) announces the appointment of Mr. Moses A. Cook, JD, LL.M. as its new Executive Director and Ms. Catherine S. Bruno, JD, as its new Deputy Executive Director.
Mr. Cook and Ms. Bruno are both seasoned executives with decades of leadership experience in the criminal justice sector. Mr. Cook has extensive experience in legal education and nonprofit management, including organizational development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. Ms. Bruno has in-depth expertise in government ethics and oversight. The Commission unanimously appointed Mr. Cook and Ms. Bruno following a comprehensive search process.
As Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Cook and Ms. Bruno will serve as a key advisors to the Commission on all operational matters. They will work closely with Commission members on agency operations, project management, budget management, strategic planning and implementation of Commission objectives. They will also work closely with the Commission's Special Counsel on sensitive legal and investigative matters and brief the Commission on trends and developments from federal and state Commissions across the United States.
Mr. Cook's leadership experience encompasses fiscal oversight and budget preparation, strategic planning initiatives and organizational development programs, modernizing operational systems, expanding programs, and overseeing day-to-day operations spanning various functions and programs. He has led organizational transformation efforts to enhance efficiency and sustainability, developed HR procedures and operational policies to streamline workflows and managed development activities that expanded organizational revenue. He has also served as a consultant for nonprofits seeking to manage strategic growth, transform operations and achieve organizational sustainability.
Mr. Cook's engagement with the District's legal community includes ten years supervising law students in clinical programs who practiced in DC Superior Court and the DC Court of Appeals, serving as Adjunct Professor of Law at George Washington University, and selection as a Prettyman Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center. From 2015-19 he served on the DC Bar Board of Governors and the Bar's Strategic Planning Committee. As Co-Director of the DC Consortium of Legal Services Providers from 2018-19, he co-led a steering committee representing 30 legal advocacy organizations in the District of Columbia.
Ms. Bruno’s leadership experience encompasses criminal and administrative misconduct investigations, ethics training and guidance, compliance risk management, and compliance data analytics. She has overseen enterprise-wide programs that support employee and institutional integrity. She is a life-long resident of the District of Columbia who served as an Assistant United States Attorney with the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia from 1996-2002. From 2002-2009 she served in the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) as the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Oversight and Review. In 2009 she joined the FBI General Counsel’s Office as Special Assistant to the General Counsel for OIG and Government Accountability Office Matters. From 2018 through mid-2025 she led the FBI’s Office of Integrity and Compliance, which is responsible for the FBI’s ethics and internal compliance risk programs.
Mr. Cook holds a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law and an LL.M from Georgetown University Law Center. He has served as Adjunct Professor of Law at George Washington University and Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University Law Center. He is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court and the US District Court for the District of Columbia and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Ms. Bruno holds a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School and served as law clerk to the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
"We are privileged to welcome Moses Cook and Catherine Bruno as the Commission's new Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director. Their combination of executive leadership experience, deep knowledge of the District of Columbia legal community, and proven track record in organizational transformation make them uniquely qualified to lead the Commission at this important time. Their understanding of judicial operations and commitment to excellence will be invaluable as we continue our mission to maintain public confidence in the judiciary," said Commissioner Amy L. Bess, Esq., Chairperson of the Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure.
"I am honored to serve the Commission and the District of Columbia community in this vital role. The Commission's work in maintaining judicial excellence and accountability is fundamental to public confidence in our courts. I look forward to working with Chairperson Bess, the Commissioners, Deputy Executive Director, Special Counsel and our stakeholders to strengthen the Commission's operations and advance its critical mission," said Mr. Cook.
Mr. Cook and Ms. Bruno officially joined the Commission on September 22, 2025, and October 4, 2025 (respectively). Additional information on the Commission’s leadership team is available on the Commission’s website at CJDT Leadership | cjdt.
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The Commission is an independent body created by Congress in 1970 to provide oversight of the District of Columbia Courts. Among its numerous statutory responsibilities is to conduct fitness reviews of DC Court judges who seek reappointment upon expiration of their terms. The Commission is made up of seven volunteer Commissioners who are duly appointed in accordance with the Commission’s statute.
The current members of the Commission are:
Amy L. Bess, Esq., Chairperson
Hon. Diane M. Brenneman, Ret., Vice Chairperson
Thomas Fitton
Hon. Loren L. AliKhan
William P. Lightfoot, Esq.
Nikki Sertsu
Up to date information on ongoing judicial fitness reviews can be found on the Commission’s website at https://cjdt.dc.gov/page/evaluate-candidates.
For more information, please contact the Commission’s office at (202) 727-1363 or [email protected], or you may visit the Commission’s website at | cjdt (dc.gov).