The Honorable Mark L. Wolf, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, is chair of the John William Ward Public Service Fellowship. Appointed U.S. District Judge by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, and elevated to Chief Judge in 2006, Chief Judge Wolf's federal trial court experience of more than 20 years has made lasting contributions to the administration of justice in Massachusetts. Most notably, he worked for many years on organized crime cases, involving James "Whitey" Bulger, "Cadillac" Frank Salemme, and Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi. His book-length rulings on the intricate relationship between the FBI and its informants has become the single definitive body of authority on the issue, and has inspired a best-selling book "Black Mass" written by the Boston Globe reporters who covered the issues for so long.

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Chief Judge Wolf served as Special Assistant to United States Deputy Attorney General Laurence Silberman in 1975, and then as Special Assistant to the legendary United States Attorney General Edward Levi from 1975 to 1977.

In addition, he was Deputy United States Attorney and Chief of the Public Corruption Unit in Boston from 1981 to 1985, and worked with William F. Weld. This interest in public corruption cases, and the personal impact of John William Ward, led Wolf, with the help of Stanley Miller, to found the Fellowship shortly after his appointment to the bench.

In addition, Wolf has served as an Adjunct Professor at Boston College Law School, and as Lecturer at his alma mater Harvard Law School. Wolf completed his undergraduate degree from Yale University.

Chief Judge Wolf is highly involved in a number of charitable endeavors. In addition to serving as chair of the Ward Fellowship for more than 20 years, having awarded over 200 Boston Latin School with fellowships, he also chairs the Judge David S. Nelson Fellowship, a program that allows students from the Boston Public Schools the opportunity to work with district judges during a summer in the Federal Courthouse. This program honors the dynamic character and compelling community activism of Judge Nelson, who was the first African-American to be appointed to the Massachusetts District Court.

Additionally, after stepping down from 30 years as chairman, Wolf remains active on the board of the Dr. Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. That program (named in honor of the renowned theologian, philosopher, organist, Bach expert, and 1953 Nobel Peace Prize recipient) allows students from health professional and law schools to engage in community service projects in health centers and community agencies in cities across the United States, and in the hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon which Dr. Schweitzer first established in 1913.

Wolf also worked with the city of Lowell, Massachusetts and the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association to establish the Future Stars Sports Leadership Summer Camp, which was created in response to the gang violence suffered in the large immigrant Cambodian population in the city.

He has been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from President Gerald Ford for his service in the resettlement of Indochinese refugees (1975), the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award (1984), and the Boston Bar Association's Citation for Judicial Excellence(2002).

Chief Judge Wolf received an Honorary Degree from Boston Latin School in 1990 for his service as chairman of the Ward Fellowship.

He currently resides in Weston, Massachusetts with his wife.