Justice Carmen Velasquez emigrated from her native country of Ecuador at age 14. Without speaking a single word of English, she began her formal studies with a goal towards becoming an attorney.
While a student, many advisers tried to dissuade her from pursuing a legal career, suggesting she should become a secretary instead. However, her strong will and determination proved the skeptics wrong. She completed her early education at Long Island City High School. Prior to becoming a judge, she worked as a cashier in a fruit store, factory worker, secretary and bank teller. While attending John Jay College of Criminal Justice, she was elected to many positions. The City University of New York recognized her contributions and conferred upon her “The Belle Zeller Scholarship”. Justice Velasquez received the Counsel for Legal Education Opportunity Fellowship (CLEO) as well as the Temple University Graduate Fellowship that paid for her entire legal education and living expenses. She successfully obtained a Juris Doctor degree from Temple Law School.
After serving as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx County, she worked for the City of New York in the Legal Affairs Division of the Sanitation Department as a deputy advocate. She started a private practice in 1991 concentrating in the areas of Criminal Defense, Family Law, and Immigration. As such, she achieved great acclaim as an accomplished litigator. Her work ethic, professionalism, and enthusiasm for the legal professional have generated great admiration from other attorneys and Justices. Judge Carmen Velasquez has received over 100 awards and recognitions from not for profit organizations, U.S. Senators, US Congressmen, NY & NJ State Assemblymen, councilmen and countries of Ecuador, Peru, and Honduras.
Justice Carmen R. Velasquez was elected to the Civil Court bench in New York on November 4, 2008 and elected in 2014 as Justice of the New York Supreme Court. Justice Carmen Velasquez is the First Ecuadorian-American to be elected Justice in New York, USA. Justice Velasquez is currently presiding in Queens County Supreme Court Civil Part, NY
Justice Carmen Velasquez was a founding member and Past President to Latino Lawyers of Queens County, was Co-Chair of the Judicial Council of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and was Vice-President of the Latino Judges Association. Justice Velasquez is presently an Advisory Board member of the Latino Lawyers Association, Immediate Past President of the Association of Supreme Court Justices of the State of NY, G-100 Global Chair,Committee. Judge Velasquez is a lifetime member of the International Association of Women Judges and National Association of Women Judges, and recently elected National Secretary of the National Association of Women Judges.
On a more personal note, Judge Carmen Velasquez has a lovely daughter.
