Trinidadian-American court attorney referee in Kings County (Brooklyn) Danielle Noel, a “proud” daughter of Trinidadian immigrants who came to America for higher education and an opportunity for a better life for themselves and their families, is vying for a civil court judgeship countywide. Noel told Caribbean Life exclusively on Monday, March 16, that she is seeking to bring experience and equity to the bench.
“One of the most important lessons that my parents taught me was that education unlocks opportunity, and we are supposed to use our gifts to give back to our community,” said Noel, who has received the endorsement of the Kings County Democratic Party, as well as several neighborhood democratic clubs and elected officials.
“From the halls of P.S. 161 on Crown Street (in Brooklyn) to the halls of our courts in Brooklyn, I am a product of the educators and mentors who recognized my gifts and guided me to apply them to the law,” added Noel, a 2013 graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York.
With over 10 years of experience in the legal profession, Noel said she has dedicated her career to upholding the principles of justice, fairness, and integrity.
She said she is running for civil court judge “because it is the best way that I can use everything that I have learned to give back to the community that helped raise me.
“I believe in a judiciary that reflects the values of our diverse county and promotes the public trust in our institutions,” Noel said. “As a support magistrate and court attorney referee, I have seen how the ideals of the court system, and our Constitution are at times not implemented in ways to best serve the public.
“I do not take for granted the lives and livelihoods that are entrusted in each case that comes before me,” she added. “I believe that an educated community is an empowered community.”
“If elected as a civil court judge, I hope to use the position to help educate the community on the powers of the civil court and the resources that are available to help resolve their cases,” Noel continued. “I also hope to continue educating court staff in recognizing and eliminating bias in our treatment of court users.
“In our current environment, I am committed to ensuring that all voices have a fair opportunity to be heard in our legal system and that every person who enters the courtroom is treated with dignity and respect,” she said.
After graduating from law school, Noel said she worked in private practice for a small commercial litigation firm and that, when the opportunity presented itself to transition to public service, she accepted a position as a law clerk to a New York State Supreme Court justice.
Noel said she worked in that capacity until 2022, when she was appointed a support magistrate for the New York City Family Court.
In that role, Noel said she presided over parentage, child support, and spousal support petitions.
In 2024, she said she returned to the Supreme Court as a court attorney referee, where she reviews uncontested divorce judgments and presides over trials on the financial issues of contested divorce actions.
“In these roles, I have ensured that litigants have a fair opportunity to present their respective cases, and each dispute is decided impartially, equitably, and consistent with the law,” she said.
In addition to her professional duties, Noel said she has contributed to the court’s Access to Justice initiatives by organizing diversity and anti-bias brown-bag lunch discussions for jurists and staff.
She said she has worked with clerks and other jurists in revising certain forms and instructions to make them more user-friendly for self-represented litigants.
Noel said she served as a speaker and moderator on seminars for lawyers and partnering agencies about diversity and inclusion, and worked with self-represented litigants.
Noel said she also had the privilege of hosting high school, college, and law student interns through the NYC Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), Prep for Prep, and similar programs.
She said many of her interns have gone on to pursue careers in the legal profession or criminal justice.
Outside of the courtroom, Noel said she is a member of the Family Law and LGBTQ+ Committees of the Brooklyn Bar Association; the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association; the Columbian Lawyers Association of Brooklyn; the Kings County Nathan R. Sobel American Inns of Court; and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association.
Noel said she is actively involved with the University of Pennsylvania’s Alumni Association, where she volunteers as a mentor to undergraduate students and advocate for faculty, staff, and students of diverse backgrounds. (She is a 2008 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she pursued undergraduate studies).
Additionally, Noel is the co-leader of a Girl Scout Brownie troop in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where the girls learn about entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and community service.
“It is my hope that, through my efforts and the help of community leaders and partners, our campaign will be successful, and I will be your next civil court judge,” she said.
Early voting for the Democratic Primary runs from Saturday, Jun. 13 to Sunday, Jun. 21.
Primary Election Day is Tuesday, Jun. 23.
